Editorial: When the Facts Are Straight

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- You probably read the story or heard it on the radio this week: A Florida man, trying to quit smoking and innocently puffing away on an electronic cigarette suddenly has the implement--specifically, its battery, according to reports--explode in his mouth. He's rushed to the hospital, suffering from shattered teeth, severe burns and a missing chunk of his tongue.

Local fire officials described the grisly scene: burned carpet, chair cushions, pictures and office equipment. One division chief compares the injuries caused by the e-cigarette--a fast-growing alternative to tobacco that holds promise for convenience stores--as being similar to "trying to hold a bottle rocket in your mouth when it went off."

An e-cigarette advocate told the Associated Press, "There have been billions and billions of puffs on the cigarettes, and we have not heard of this happening before."

The story is quickly picked up by network news and newspapers across the country, Canada, Australia and beyond.

CSP Daily News didn't pick up the story.

Why not?

Certainly a story told as widely as this one is going to lead to some questions at the checkout counter. Some serious: Are these really safe? Some sarcastic: Is this the type that explodes? Some offensive: How can you sell such dangerous devices?

The bottom line is: Today, there are more questions than answers. It's yet to be reported which brand of e-cigarette the unfortunate man was using. It's not known if he was using it as directed. It's not known if additional testing or even recalls will be required. Also, was it the e-cig that caused the explosion or something else the person may have been doing?

It's widely known that tobacco cigarettes can cause disease and lead to an early death. Yet the industry sells them by the millions. Will one freak accident with an e-cigarette likely cause a backlash? Perhaps, so be forewarned.

And when further investigation of just what happened when that Florida man sought to soothe a nicotine craving is revealed, or if regulatory action is taken in the wake of the incident, CSP Daily News will let you know.

If you're still curious, click here to read the complete AP story or watch the video above.

Where do you stand? Should CSP Daily News have run the story as reported by the Associated Press? Let us know by commenting below.