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A grieving family is calling for tougher enforcement of laws to prohibit children from obtaining nicotine vaping gear and e-liquid.

Nicotine vaping products are sold in a murky legal grey area, regulated for toxicity under federal consumer law, but not approved for sale by Health Canada.

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Fourteen-year-old Kyle Losse of Delta was using an e-cigarette in the bathroom of his family home Sunday when he fell and may have struck his head. He died Tuesday after being placed on life support.

Photo by FACEBOOK / PNG

The cause of his death isn’t known.

“It’s just a fad, something kids are trying to do to be cool,” said his stepmother, Niki Losse. “I told Kyle’s friends’ parents, if they have this stuff, take it outside and smash it right now.”

It’s not clear what role — if any — vaping played in Kyle’s death. The liquid he was inhaling tested positive for nicotine, a typical ingredient.

E-cigarettes create an aerosolized mist from a liquid usually containing nicotine and substances for flavour and aroma. The device typically consists of a battery with a heating element that creates steam and a mouthpiece for inhaling the vapour.