New Jersey – Six New Jersey residents have been sickened, including an 84-year-old Burlington County woman who died Monday, after ingesting a small amount of torch oil which was mistaken for apple juice, New Jersey poison control officials officials said today.
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One of the victims critically injured was an 8-year-old Bergen County girl whose lungs sustained permanent damage after she drank from a glass filled with what she thought was apple juice that was sitting on a kitchen counter.
The remaining cases, some of which date back to May 25, came from Burlington, Somerset, Union and Passaic counties. A total of four people have been hospitalized, said Steven Marcus, who directs the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System. He said none of the individuals were related.
Marcus said he became concerned after “clusters” of cases started to develop. In total, 13 calls were placed to the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System about the torch oil, sold under the brand name of “Tiki, Paradise in Your Backyard.”
Marcus said he alerted New Jersey state health officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the oil manufacturer about what he called the “look-alike” oil, which comes in a clear plastic container.
“We’re trying to send out a nationwide alert,” he said, urging residents to keep the oil in a locked cabinet.
According to the company’s Website, the oil is sold in stores including Home Depot, K-Mart and Wal-Mart.
How could this happen?
Who leaves this stuff in a cup?