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Tag: vaping related illness

  • Vaping Death Toll Rises To Nine

    Vaping Death Toll Rises To Nine

    The Kansas resident, who was a new e-cigarette user, had an underlying health condition. 

    A second Kansas resident has died from a vaping-related illness, bringing the national death toll to at least nine as of Wednesday (Sept. 25). 

    The most recent victim was a man older than 50. He had an underlying health condition, according to information provided by the state’s Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). 

    “Today, I am saddened to announce the death of a second Kansan in association with this outbreak,” Governor Laura Kelly said in a news release. “Dr. Lee Norman and his team with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are working tirelessly with other states and organizations to gather facts on e-cigarettes and its effects. We are coordinating a response to combat this epidemic, so that families can avoid such tragic outcomes.”

    New Users Are Affected Too

    The man was reportedly a new vape pen user. 

    “The patient had recently begun using e-cigarettes prior to hospitalization,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Farah Ahmed.

    The information on vaping-related illness in Kansas shows how widespread the issue is. The other death in the state was of a woman, also over 50, who also had underlying health issues.

    However, of the nine confirmed cases of vape-related deaths in the country, the victims have ranged in age from 17-67. They’ve included five men and four women. The products linked to the illnesses have contained tobacco, THC, CBD or a combination of these. 

    “E-cigarettes are unregulated, which means that we don’t know what’s in them,” said Norman, the secretary of KDHE. “And, of great concern to me, is that in the midst of all these illnesses being reported, the amount of young people using them is significant.”

    Youth Vaping Epidemic

    Parents must be aware that even though their children aren’t smoking traditional cigarettes, they could be vaping, officials say.  

    “Most teens who vape have never smoked cigarettes. Vaping is how they are initiating inhaling things into their lungs. We must work diligently and swiftly in addressing this public health crisis,” Norman said. 

    The state reports that 10.6% of high schoolers and 4.6% of adults use vaping products. All of them could be at risk, since it’s unknown what is causing vape-related illnesses. 

    “The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is urging people to stop vaping while this national investigation is underway,” said Ahmed.

    Norman said it’s important that everyone be aware of the risks of vaping, especially while vape pens remain widely available. 

    “Until [new] rules and regulations go into effect, education is our best defense,” he said. “Talk to your kids. Talk to your grandkids. Keep talking about these issues.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vaping's Popularity Made Room For Dangerous Decisions

    Vaping's Popularity Made Room For Dangerous Decisions

    “The end result of what could happen is not worth any high in the world,” said one man who fell ill after vaping. 

    A few years ago, e-cigarettes were a novelty product, but today they’re incredibly common among everyone from high schoolers to middle aged adults.

    The explosive growth of the vaping market, combined with the legalization of cannabis in many states, created a regulatory vacuum and a thriving black market that has left hundreds of people sick and nine people dead from vape-related lung illness.  

    “The end result of what could happen is not worth any high in the world,” Ricky D’Ambrosio told USA Today. D’Ambrosio, 21, was hospitalized for 10 days earlier this month for a vape-related lung condition. 

    D’Ambrosio had vaped cannabis for years. He said that his illness started when he went to a dispensary that “felt legitimate, but wasn’t in the best part of town” to buy a vape cartridge. A week later he was in the hospital, violently vomiting and placed in a medically-induced coma for four days. 

    Vaping-Related Illnesses

    The vape-related illnesses and deaths that have grabbed headlines this summer were the product of a perfect storm, according to USA Today. Vapes were already super popular. They were increasingly being paired with cannabis cartridges, as marijuana became more widely legal.

    Then, the 2018 Farm Bill, signed in December, legalized hemp and made it easier and less risky to produce vape cartridges that contain THC. Teens aren’t legally allowed to buy vape products, so they often turn to the black market, which can increase their risk of exposure to contaminants. 

    “Young people are pretty nondiscriminatory in what they’re vaping,” said pulmonologist Sean Jorgensen Callahan. 

    Black Market Vape Cartridges

    David Kurzfeld, who owns a lab that tests THC products and removes contaminants, said that some people on the black market are looking to increase their profit at any cost. 

    “They’re spraying all kinds of crazy substances on their plants, it’s going downstream and we’re seeing all the effects all over the country,” he said. He regularly finds mercury, arsenic and lead in the vape products that he tests. 

    Foster Winans, a senior editor at Marijuana Times, explains that vaping heats chemicals so that “myclobutanil breaks down and emits hydrogen cyanide,” the “the same cyanide in the gas used by the Nazis to exterminate millions of Jews and other minorities.”

    While legit producers will pay to have their products tested and chemicals removed, black market growers are unlikely to make that investment, Kurzfeld said.

    “People are greedy. They can’t take the loss of an entire season’s crop. Every bit of the dirty product is sold illegally.”

    Taylor Fredette, who was hospitalized for a vape-related illness earlier this year, said that more people need to be aware of the risk of vaping, especially with black market products. 

    “This whole situation opened my eyes,” she said. “I was meant to be here and should not allow myself to put such toxins in my body.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Trump Administration To Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes

    Trump Administration To Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes

    There are currently more than 450 reported possible cases of lung illness associated with vaping in the US.

    The Trump administration is moving toward a ban of flavored e-cigarette products as reports of vaping-related illness and even a handful of fatalities have surfaced across the United States.

    “The Trump administration is making it clear that we intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement.

    18 With The Lungs Of A 70-Year-Old

    Increasingly, new cases of severe lung damage and lung disease related to vaping have emerged. The symptoms are severe. One 17-year-old woman in Texas came down with a fever and “pneumonia in both lungs,” forcing her on life support. She had vaped for two years in lieu of smoking cigarettes, her mother told Fox4News.com.

    Another 18-year-old man from Illinois was hospitalized in late August after falling ill with “nonstop” vomiting. A review of his lungs revealed “the full damage.” Now his lungs resemble those of a 70-year-old person, he was told. He had vaped both nicotine and THC cartridges for more than a year and a half.

    These are just two examples of the slew of reports coming in.

    Tobacco-Flavored Products Are Okay…For Now

    Azar said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently finalizing a compliance policy to remove flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, from the market. Tobacco-flavored products will not be affected, unless “we find that children start surging into tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes or if we find marketing practices that target children and try to attract them into tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes,” said Azar. In that case, “we will engage in enforcement actions there also.”

    This month, Michigan became the first state to ban flavored e-cigarette products. Boulder, Colorado did the same this summer as well as San Francisco, which became the first city in the U.S. to ban the sale and distribution of all e-cigarette products.

    As of Thursday morning, CNN reported a sixth person dead, a woman from Kansas, from lung disease related to vaping. The other fatalities were reported in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Oregon.

    As of last Friday, there were more than 450 reported possible cases of lung illness associated with vaping across 33 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    “The tremendous progress we’ve made in reducing youth tobacco use in the U.S. is jeopardized by this onslaught of e-cigarette use,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, MD. “Nobody wants to see children becoming addicted to nicotine, and we will continue to use the full scope of our regulatory authority thoughtfully and thoroughly to tackle this mounting public health crisis.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • CDC, FDA Open Investigation Into Vaping-Related Lung Disease 

    CDC, FDA Open Investigation Into Vaping-Related Lung Disease 

    The federal agencies are investigating more than 200 cases to see if there is a “common cause or if they are different diseases with similar presentations.”

    As vaping has picked up in popularity in recent years, concerns around the habit have also increased. 

    Most recently, U.S. health officials have announced an investigation of up to 354 possible cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping. According to the Washington Post, the cases span 29 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement released Friday (Aug. 30).  

    However, the agencies say more information is necessary in order to conclude whether the lung illnesses are connected to a specific product. 

    “Even though cases appear similar, it is not clear if these cases have a common cause or if they are different diseases with similar presentations, which is why our ongoing investigation is critical,” CDC Director Robert Redfield and acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless said in the statement. 

    According to officials, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, these possible connections between vaping and lung disease should not be overlooked. Azar says, “this situation, and the rising tide of youth tobacco use, is a top public health priority for the Trump Administration and every leader at HHS.”

    Counterfeit Products

    A CDC official said that the investigation is “starting to point to what solvents are being used, and that can vary a lot.” The official adds that this is especially concerning in counterfeit and black market products. 

    To avoid possible complications, the FDA says those who vape should not modify or add substances to e-cigarettes and should not buy any such substances off the streets. They should also remain vigilant of any health issues or concerns and seek medical intervention if they feel the need. 

    According to the Post, officials are encouraging those who use e-cigarettes to cease doing so and to talk to medical professionals about other options, such as nicotine gum or patches. 

    The CDC and FDA also noted that in many of the lung disease cases, the individual had also used THC or CBD. 

    “People need to stop using these illicit THC products now—and it’s the CDC’s responsibility to say what we do know,” Michael Siegel, a professor of community health services at Boston University, tells the Post. “Yes, there are unknowns. Yes, there may be other products implicated as well. But a large number [of confirmed cases] seem to involve THC oils purchased from ‘pop-up shops.’”

    New Territory

    State departments are working to gather and share information. Illinois Department of Health Director Ngozi Ezike tells CNBC that the investigation is “new territory.” 

    “We’re on the cusp of what we consider new territory in that this is not an illness or an association between vaping and acute respiratory illnesses that have been reported before or that CDC even collects information on,” Ezike said.

    According to the Post, the plan is for the CDC to create a data collection system for states and to “finalize an initial definition of a vaping-related lung injury or illness by week’s end.”

    View the original article at thefix.com