Several cases of people getting sick or even dying from vaping is cause for concern. Portland, Oregon reported its first death caused by a severe respiratory illness that has been linked to a vaping device.
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| 2019–2020 vaping lung illness outbreak | |
|---|---|
| Confirmed cases | 2,711 |
| Deaths | 61 |
Is vaping bad for your health?
With the death count recently rising to six, the finger is pointed firmly at vaping, with the CDC stating, “Until we know more, if you are concerned about these specific health risks, CDC recommends that you consider refraining from using e-cigarette or vaping products.”
How many people have died from vaping-related illness?
Eighty-four percent of people who died in the outbreak used THC products, according to an analysis of a subset of patients. Among 19 patients who’ve died in the outbreak of vaping-related illness — a subset of the 34 total deaths for which the CDC had substance use data — 84 percent reported using THC-containing products.
Are THC vape products to blame for vaping-related illness?
For weeks, it’s been clear THC vape products are playing a major role in the outbreak of vaping-related illness that has sickened more than 1,600 people across the country. But what hasn’t been clear is what substances the people who died from this sickness had been using.
Is ‘mystery illness’ killing vapers?
Unsurprisingly, the news of these deaths has spread at startling speed, and people are scared. A “mystery illness” is killing vapers, striking down young, otherwise-healthy people who see a rapid decline in their health, difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain and more, with 6 of the 380-plus cases so resulting in death.
Can you die from vape?
However, there has been an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with vaping. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 2,807 cases of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and 68 deaths attributed to that condition.
What does vaping do to your body?
Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can: slow brain development in teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood. increase the risk of other types of addiction later in life.
Can you buy a vape at 13 years old?
A: The federal minimum age to purchase e-cigarette products is 18, but the laws vary by state – 49 states have set a minimum age that is older than 18. Unfortunately, the majority of underage vaping users are still getting the products from local gas stations or areas in their community that sell the products.
Why do people vape?
About 1 in 5 high school students vape, exposing them to nicotine, a highly addictive substance found in tobacco. Adults may use vaping to quit a nicotine addiction, but youth often start with vaping and graduate to cigarettes later. Vaping is likely to keep young people hooked for years.
How many cases of THC are linked to black market?
Research in Illinois and Wisconsin uncovered the same pattern. And in New York, the state Department of Health commissioner has said the vast majority of the 125 cases there have been linked to black market THC cartridges.
Is vitamin E acetate a contaminant?
One potential contaminant is vitamin E acetate. Of the 225 THC-containing products the FDA has tested, as of October 11, 47 percent contained the oily substance, which is used as a cheap thinne r in vaping products. The recent Utah data found the chemical in 89 percent of the THC-containing cartridges tested there.
Background
In mid-2019, patients began showing up at hospitals showing signs of a mysterious lung infection cropping up in otherwise healthy patients. By August, the CDC had established a link between the disease and use of a variety of vapor products. Fast forward to October and, with nearly 1300 cases reported, the EVALI name was coined.
A New Kind of Vape
As we know, e-cigs and liquid vapor devices have been around for well over a decade at this point. Why, then, has the EVALI scare only come to light in the last six months or so? It turns out that there is a completely new player in the vape scene that's only rose to prominence within the last couple years: marijuana.
The Culprit Emerges
Oils have always been somewhat of a bogeyman in nicotine vaping circles, and for years both amateur and professional e-liquid mixers have advised complete avoidance of any oil-based flavorings when making vape liquid.
Aftermath
Following the initial panic, new cases of EVALI have dropped dramatically. Over the last two years, more than 100 people have been arrested for manufacturing and distributing illegal marijuana vape cartridges, of which more than a half million have been seized – most of this activity has come since the initial disease scare.
The Issue with Black Market Vape Pens
Vaping is one of the easiest and most discreet methods to consume cannabis. Since it is so popular, many black-market producers will resort to using a variety of different chemicals, harmful or otherwise, to cut the product in an effort to stretch and maximize profits.
This Also Affects the Legal Market
People have been using vape products for years without suffering from health problems in such large groups at the same time. Well, what’s new that is causing the recent major health crisis? Cartridge makers have commonly used MCT oils and vegetable glycerin emulsifiers in their production.
Why is vaping in the crosshairs?
Vaping was in the cross-hairs straight away, because the individual was reportedly a vaper. Soon, the numbers of cases rose, and along with it, more deaths were reported, from Oregon, Indiana, Minnesota, California and the most recent (on Tuesday the 10 th) from Kansas.
What happens if you sound the alarm about e-cigarettes?
Firstly, people using traditional e-cigarettes will get scared – hell, the CDC is still advising people to stop vaping while they lumber along working out what’s going on – and potentially stop vaping.
What to do if you have THC cartridges?
If you have THC cartridges you bought from an illegal seller: throw them out. No ifs, no buts, just throw them away. It’s estimated that 60 to 70 percent of street-sold THC carts will use a thickener, and so the chance your carts have something bad in them is pretty freaking high.
What is a mystery illness?
A “mystery illness” is killing vapers, striking down young, otherwise-healthy people who see a rapid decline in their health, difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain and more, with 6 of the 380-plus cases so resulting in death. The question is: are our e-cigarettes going to kill us?
Can you vape e-liquids?
Never vape e-liquids containing oils. Avoid flavoring chemicals like diacetyl that are likely to pose a risk to users. If you really want to use diacetyl-containing liquids (which will still be safer than smoking), at least learn the facts before you decide to keep going. Be wary of any home-made e-juice.
Is diacetyl good for vaping?
While diacetyl , for example, is likely not the best thing to be vaping (and it’s possible other flavorings will cause issues too), that problem has been around for as long as e-liquid, and most manufacturers stopped using it years ago. And of course, mods and tanks haven’t changed substantially in years either.
Is vaping older than the average age?
It doesn’t make sense that products available all around the world would only be causing issues in one country, either. And the average age of vapers is much older than the average age of the people affected by the illness, so the affected groups don’t really match up either.