On September 6, federal health officials warned the public that a mysterious illness linked to vaping had killed five people in the U.S. Kansas officials confirmed on September 10 that a sixth person has died and California health officials said on September 17 that a seventh person had died from vaping-related illness. At least 450 cases of vaping-associated illness are suspected in hospitals across 33 states and one territory, with the numbers continuing to rise.
Those hospitalized are mostly young and healthy, and were admitted with symptoms beginning with fever and nausea, escalating to coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Among the first five reported deaths, all had vaped—either weed, nicotine, or a combination of the two—in the previous 90 days; most had vaped much more recently.
The cases represent a small percentage of the vaping population, but the severity of the illness—which looks like viral or bacterial pneumonia, but isn’t—has investigators worried.
Doctors have described “severe lung injury” and, in one death in an older patient, a “long and complicated hospitalization.” One patient, chronicled in The Washington Post, went from feeling sick to being “on death’s door” in two days; six weeks after leaving the hospital the 20 year-old former hiker still has diminished lung capacity and struggles with his short-term memory. Doctors aren’t sure whether he’ll fully recover.
While authorities have published case studies describing the acute lung disorder observed in people who vape, its exact cause remains unclear. It hasn’t been linked to a specific product or device; investigators also aren’t sure whether it’s a new phenomenon or something they’re just recognizing, though details point to the former.
No specific device or substance has been linked to the cases, officials said. The Food and Drug Administration is analyzing samples collected from patients across the country who have fallen ill and is testing them for a broad range of chemicals, including nicotine, THC and “cutting agents” to dilute solutions and other substances.
“Many but not all of the cases have been linked to THC-containing products,” said MeiLan K. Han, professor of internal medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Michigan Medicine and director of the Michigan Airways Program. She notes that Food and Drug Administration testing showed vitamin E acetate, an oil derived from vitamin E, in weed products vaped by people who’d gotten sick. That oil could be causing lung inflammation, she said. But not everyone who got sick reported using such products, and some were using only nicotine vape product. “At this time there is no guaranteed ‘safe’ form of vaping,” Han said.
The FDA has warned vapers against buying products “off the street,” or those that have been mixed or tampered with, implying that “reputable” products are safer. “There is no regulation or inspection of these manufacturers or vape shops, so there is no way to tell if a device or liquid is from a ‘reputable place.” This means that even if you’re using a fancy pen that you bought legally in L.A., you can’t be guaranteed to escape this mystery illness. In June 2017, the Trump administration delayed rules being put in place for the e-cigarette industry by four years—they're set to go into effect in 2022, though a court case may accelerate the deadline.
The health risks of cigarettes are well known; right now, the risks from vaping are not well understood—and that lack of information goes beyond the current spate of illnesses. That’s because e-cigarettes are a relatively recent phenomenon. Touted as a safer alternative to cigarettes, they were brought to market with very little scientific study; there are a lot of unknowns about them, and the more they’re studied, the less safe they seem to be.
“Vape shop owners and e-cigarette manufacturers like to say they are helpful with quitting smoking,” Buckles said, “However, there is no evidence at this time to indicate this is true.” The FDA regulates vapes as tobacco products, and has not approved them for smoking cessation or anything else.
The bottom line is that there’s currently an epidemic of illnesses related to vaping; beyond that risk, the long-term safety of vaping is far from established.
Vice Article:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ne8eqq/vaping-deaths-2019-is-vaping-safe?utm_source=viceigus&utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-vice&utm_content=later-3241177&utm_medium=social