WASHINGTON, D.C. — A physician working for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testified before Congress recently that she expects to see hundreds of more vaping-related illnesses before the epidemic abates. ABC News reported that the physician expects the next figure released by the CDC to include hundreds of new cases. The CDC […]
Vaping illnesses may be diagnosed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A physician working for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testified before Congress recently that she expects to see hundreds of more vaping-related illnesses before the epidemic abates. ABC News reported that the physician expects the next figure released by the CDC to include hundreds of new cases. The CDC last reported that 530 people have fallen ill from vaping. The next report from the CDC could come as soon as the beginning of October. There have been nine confirmed deaths attributable to vaping illnesses, but that number could be as high as twelve.
The CDC does not know why vaping products are making people sick; the CDC just knows that it is happening. The CDC cannot point to any one ingredient, brand, flavor, or any common denominator of the vaping products used by the people who fell prey to the lung illnesses cropping up around the U.S. The CDC is trying to learn why people are getting sick. Consequently, the CDC is examining the aerosols involved, the liquids added to the vaping mix, the oils used or produced, and other factors. Some of the people who got sick used THC-infused vaping products, but many did not.
The CDC and other public health investigators have some leads. Researchers found vitamin e acetate in some of the so-called “knock-off” or generic brands of e-cigarettes being sold in the U.S. Some speculate that companies are cutting their THC products with oils that invade people’s lungs when inhaled. However, that theory does not explain every illness.
The health scare inspired quick action. The Trump administration discussed a federal ban on flavored vape product sales. New York, Michigan, and Rhode Island have banned flavored vapes. Meanwhile, Massachusetts enacted a total prohibition on the sale of any vaping product regardless of the intended flavor.
Some legislators point accusatory fingers at the FDA. The legislators claim that the agency has not done enough to regulate the sale and use of e-cigarette accessories sold in the U.S.
