Dad Gives 9-Week-Old Baby Vape Liquid: 'I've Done It Before'

A father from Racine, Wisconsin, was accused Thursday of giving his nine-week-old son "a couple drops" of vaping liquid from e-cigarettes, police said.

Dustin Appenzeller, 30, was arrested on felony charges for the physical abuse of a child and for intentionally causing bodily harm, according to WITI. Police received a call from a witness who woke up to the sound of "Oh my god! What did you do? What did you do?"

Appenzeller was found in a bedroom with the infant boy, who was apparently "foaming at the mouth" and suffering a seizure, WTMJ reported. As the incident occurred, Appenzeller claimed to have "done it before" and that "it was fine." The child was then transported to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and poison control was contacted thereafter.

Officials questioned Appenzeller's decision to purposefully drop vape liquid into the baby's mouth, to which he responded: "I don't know. He was crying. I was really tired," according to a police complainant.

Appenzeller initially appeared in court Thursday, but he's expected to return for a preliminary hearing Feb. 8, The Journal Times reported. If convicted, Appenzeller could serve up to three years in prison in addition to three years of supervision after being jailed.

While smoking e-cigarettes is a much safer alternative to tobacco products, the liquid inside these devices is not considered to be safe for consumption. Drinking vape liquid, also known as "e-liquid" or "smoke juice," can cause nicotine poisoning. In more severe cases, it could result in death.

"The active ingredient in 'smoke juice' and electronic cigarettes is nicotine — very concentrated nicotine," Poison Control's website read. "Even a small taste of this liquid can cause nicotine poisoning in a child.Nicotine poisoning often causes nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tremors, and sweating, and can make the heart beat much faster than normal."

"Severe poisoning can cause seizures. It can even cause death. Seizures can begin only 20-30 minutes after swallowing products containing nicotine," Poison Control added.