Vaping-Related Illnesses Sweep Nation

Reported by Michael Nellis

OREGON – As of Oct. 8, over 1,300 lung injury cases in 49 states have been reported related to e-cigarette use/vaping, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Twenty-six people have died across 21 states, including two in Oregon, in a wave of symptoms that is still being investigated.

Of those who had information on what they used up to three months prior to developing symptoms, 76% claimed to use products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The majority of cases in this area involve THC obtained directly from the street and other illegal sources, but given that other patients have only reported nicotine use the CDC has not reached a definitive conclusion on what is causing the outbreak.

Vaping has experienced a sudden rise among youth—the CDC found that of those experience symptoms, 54% were under 24. The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey found, in the previous year, a 78% increase in use among high-school students and a 48% increase among middle school students. The survey concluded that over 3.6 million youth used e-cigarettes in 2018. A 2018 survey by the National Institutes of Health found that 37% of high school seniors used vaping devices.

Studies have been conducted delineating vaping’s negative effects. While vaping is seen as less harmful than smoking, according to a 2018 Tobacco Control study it could potentially deliver more nicotine than the average cigarette, due to how vaping pods use nicotine salts. A 2018 study at the Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit in Baltimore found that vaping cannabis led to greater cognitive and motor impairment than smoking it. A February 2018 study in Environmental Health Perspectives found samples of toxic, potentially carcinogenic, metals such as nickel and chromium in e-cigarettes themselves.

Many health officials are concerned that, although vaping was intended to help smokers quit, it could be leading others down the path to addiction. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a public statement Sept. 11, "We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth.” On Sept. 9, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) sent Juul, an e-cigarette company, a warning letter for advertising their products to students.

 The national reaction to the issue has been strong, and most of the pressure is directed at Juul. In July, a congressional hearing investigated what role the company had in provoking the onslaught of illnesses. On Sept. 25, Kevin Burns, the chief executive of the company, resigned his post, and the company removed the entirety of its U.S. advertising.

 States and companies are also implementing policies attempting to curb vaping. In June, San Francisco was the first U.S. city to completely ban e-cigarette sales. On Sept. 13, Wal-Mart announced that it would no longer sell e-cigarettes at its stores, according to The New York Times. On Oct. 15, a temporary policy went into effect in Oregon, signed by Governor Kate Brown, that will ban all sales of flavored vaping products for six months, according to KATU News. Retailers who fail to cooperate could receive civil penalties and cancellations of their licenses.

Until more investigation has been conducted and the definitive causes of the illnesses have been established, the CDC recommends not using any vaping product that contains either THC or nicotine.