Do not use e-cigarettes
CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chief Executive Officer for the American Lung Association issued a public safety announcement concerning the latent dangers of e-cigarettes. The American Lung Association wants the public to know that vaping could permanently damage someone’s lungs. The statement published by the American Lung Association on Lung.org could not have been more clear. The CEO said that using e-cigarettes is not a safe alternative to tobacco use. The statement from the American Lung Association comes in the midst of a health crisis sweeping the nation stemming from the teenage use of vaping products.
The CEO of the American Lung Association doubled down on the dangers of e-cigarettes and smoking tobacco products. The CEO made it clear that vaping products contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals, propylene glycol, unspecified carcinogens, and vegetable glycerin. The substances contained in e-cigarette vapor are placing younger demographics at an elevated risk for lung damage because their lungs are still growing.
According to the American Lung Association press release, the U.S. Surgeon General referred to the recent surge of lung illness spread over 33 states believed to be caused by vaping “as a youth e-cigarette epidemic.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in cooperation with local and state health agencies, are investigating the healthcare crisis closely. The CDC calculated that six people have died from lung diseases attributable to vaping, along with another 450 people sickened by vaping, spanning 33 states. Both children and adults fell ill from e-cigarette use.
The American Lung Association’s CEO asked people to stop vaping and get immediate medical attention for symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Additionally, the CEO appealed to physicians to discuss the inherent dangers of e-cigarette use. The CEO reminded the public that the FDA had not approved e-cigarette use as a healthy alternative to tobacco smoking cessation. People who are trying to stop smoking should ask their doctors about approved smoking cessation programs.
