U.S. Navy Bans Soldiers From Using Vaping Devices Over Safety Concerns

(Navy Times) – Vaping by sailors on ships and at bases may soon become a thing of the past.

A string of incidents since last year has prompted Navy safety officials to recommend removing vaping devices across the entire fleet.

Vaping devices are battery-powered products that heat nicotine liquid and deliver it to users as flavored vapor. In an Aug. 11 memo, the Navy Safety Center detailed growing safety concerns, noting that battery explosions in these devices have caused more than a dozen injuries since 2015.

When lithium-ion batteries overheat, the memo says, the seal around them can fail, turning an electronic cigarette into a small bomb.

“The Navy Safety Center concludes that these devices pose a significant and unacceptable risk to Navy personnel, facilities, submarines, ships, boats, and aircraft,” the memo reads, calling for a complete ban on the products on Navy property.

The report notes that although laptops and mobile phones also run on lithium-ion batteries, extensive testing has shown that they are not prone to exploding when they fail.

The Navy is seriously considering the recommendation, though it would ultimately need to be implemented by Fleet Forces Command and the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

“Leadership is reviewing the Navy Safety Center’s recommendations regarding electronic cigarettes, weighing both the safety and health-related risks,” said Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Marycate Walsh.

The Safety Center documented 12 incidents from October through May, and there may have been more that went unreported. The memo states that no incidents had been recorded before October 2015.

Seven of the incidents occurred aboard warships, and at least two required the use of onboard firefighting equipment to extinguish the flames. One incident occurred while a vaping device was in a sailor’s pocket, causing first- and second-degree burns.

Two sailors had their vaping devices explode in their mouths, causing facial and dental injuries. Altogether, the report says, electronic cigarettes have resulted in three days of hospitalization and more than 150 days of limited duty for sailors.

Naval Sea Systems Command has already issued a partial ban on the lithium-ion batteries involved in the reported incidents. The Safety Center recommends extending that ban to electronic cigarettes.

“It is strongly recommended that action be taken to prohibit the use, transport, or storage of these devices in Navy facilities, submarines, ships, boats, and aircraft,” the memo reads. “At the same time, it is recommended that the Navy launch a dedicated safety campaign to educate service members about the potential dangers of these products.”

The problem of exploding electronic cigarettes is not limited to the Navy. The report notes that injury and malfunction statistics from the civilian sector mirror what the Navy has seen in its own data.