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Statistics on Vaping-related Diseases and Deaths Rise

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Statistics on vaping-related diseases and deaths rise almost daily, it seems.

  • On August 23, the first vape-related death was found. This patient used vaping for the nicotine content.
  • Another five deaths were reported within a month – some using vapes containing THC, others nicotine.
  • On September 11, the Trump Administration pushed for a ban on all flavored e-cigarettes in the US because of the attraction to under-aged youth.
  • By September 12, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a confirmed 26 states reported 380 cases of illness from vaping in addition to the six deaths.
  • September 15, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced the first state ban on all flavored e-cigarettes, except tobacco and menthol. Michigan followed with their statewide ban.
  • By September 26, The CDC stats rose to 805 cases of lung injury in 46 states and one territory. The death toll was 12 people.
  • By October 4, the FDA published a statement, “[T]he agency believes it is prudent to stop using vaping products that contain THC or that have had any substances added to them, including those purchased from retail establishments. Simply put, inhaling harmful contaminants in the lungs could put a patient’s health at risk and should be avoided.” The FDA warning included purchasing vapes containing THC from retail stores or on the street.

Vaping-related diseases and deaths in Texas

These confirmed cases may be the first wave of a tsunami of illness and death from these innocent-appearing and marketed devices. It is notable that September 25th, the CEO of Juul, Kevin Bruns, stepped down from his position. Juul launched in 2015 and by 2017 had a larger e-cigarette market share than any other competitor, including the major tobacco companies. At the time Bruns resigned, Juul published a release stating Juul “suspended all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the US.”

As of October 9th, 95 cases of severe lung diseases were reported by Texas health officials. These patients reported vaping before symptoms began. One person died as a result according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDHS). Another 28 deaths possibly involving vaping are under investigation. These patients are between 13 and 75 years of age, with a median age of 22. One quarter of patients are minors. TDHS reported approximately 9 in 10 cases vaped marijuana or THC, though the dangers of nicotine are not insignificant and much is still to be researched.

Texas is a big state, with many students in the vulnerable ages of the vaping trend. The Texas A&M University system now bans e-cigarettes and vaping in every “building, outside space, parking lot, garage and laboratory” according to John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M system – this means all properties, not just the 11 universities. The University of Texas system also banned vaping in an overall tobacco ban in 2017, however, the American College Health Association recommends institutions go further. Since the wording might be misconstrued as applying only to traditional tobacco products, the association believes the wording must reflect strict no-tobacco language and include all methods of smoking, including e-cigarettes and vaping. 

Will the bans help?

A USA TODAY/Ipsos poll showed 80% of people agree purchasing of vaping devices should not be allowed for people under 21. 59% of respondents believe the ban will lead users to the black market, while 82% of vapers think that is true. Users also say government regulations will not reduce users, according to another survey.

If you are vaping, consider your health and that of those around you. Statistics are not in your favor.

E-Cigarettes and Teen Risks

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E-cigarettes and teen risks become more evident as teens, young adults, and even children are showing the danger signs of using these e-cigarettes in all their various forms. 

What are e-cigarettes?

An e-cigarette comes in many forms, but all have a battery that heats a liquid that turns into an aerosol containing nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Like regular cigarettes, users inhale everything that is in the device and also affect others with the aerosol, much like second-hand smoke.

Not only do they contain nicotine, they can also be filled with marijuana or other drugs. The aerosol flavoring may contain diacetyl, linked to serious lung disease. In addition, the aerosol may contain cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals – lead, nickel, tin – and ultrafine particles that can penetrate deeply into the lungs. E-cigarette aerosol is NOT harmless “water vapor.”

While packaging may claim there is no nicotine, that has proven wrong in many cases.

The many forms of e-cigarettes

While they began appearing somewhat larger than a traditional cigarette, they have morphed into a variety of shapes. JUUL is the top-selling e-cigarette and often appears as a USB flash drive. One JUUL pod has the equivalent of a 20-pack of cigarettes! Because of their easily hidden size, they are students’ favorite device. JUUL is not the only one with this USB design, however. Others include MarkTen Elite for nicotine, and PAX Era, which delivers marijuana.

Besides the USB form, e-cigarettes can look like pens, pipes, cigars, or even regular cigarettes. They have their own vocabulary as well, they may be called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” ‘vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).” No matter the name or clever packaging, they are unsafe.

Why is vaping unsafe?

Vaping is now linked to lung diseases in as many as 50 people in at least six states. No deaths are reported – yet – but several have been close calls. One of the most recent is a teen in Texas who contracted a lung disease after vaping. A New York doctor saw two cases this summer, including an athletic 18-year-old who almost died. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has encountered a number of severe lung problems in Texas young people recently.  These patients were e-cigarette users, so the agency is looking into possible causes within or in addition to the vaping. They issued an alert to health care providers and clinicians to watch for symptoms and gather information.

A partial list of reasons the vaping liquid, and the device itself, can be harmful:

  • Nicotine
    • Long-ranging studies have proven the harmful effects of nicotine. This is especially true for developing brains. These changes actually affect the way a brain functions in attention and impulse control. Like nicotine from regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes can increase addiction to nicotine and possibly lead to addiction to other, even more harmful, drugs.
  • Aerosol ingredients
    • Some flavorings may be safe to eat because they’re processed through digestion. Inhaling, however, is a different process and lungs are not geared for inhaling these chemical flavorings. Because of this, scientists believe lungs could be harmed.
  • Batteries
    • There have been a number of instances where defective batteries led to serious injuries through fires or explosions.
  • Health effects
    • Scientists still do not know the full effects of e-cigarettes over time, but studies to date indicate harmful effects are likely.

How to prevent or stop the use of e-cigarettes

In Texas, the legislature is considering raising the minimum age to purchase or consume tobacco products from 18 to 21. This would include all e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. The mission of this bill is to prevent future smokers since 95 percent of smokers start before the age of 21.

While vaping devices appeared to some people as an innocent way to avoid the dangers of cigarette smoking, it is now known that it may actually introduce young people to smoking and may have the same unhealthful effects – or even more – as scientists investigate the repercussions on these youthful users.

The CDC has a number of suggestions that parents can use for having a discussion with your teen, including this Tip Sheet. An ongoing conversation can make a difference. While it may not be well-received, stopping an e-cigarette user before they’re addicted is worth the persistence.

Popcorn Lung in E-Cigarette Users A Possibility

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According to a Harvard study, a chemical, diacetyl, may cause a condition called Popcorn Lung in e-cigarette users. Popcorn lung was first observed in the early 2000s when workers at a microwave popcorn factory were sickened by breathing the chemical, used because of its buttery flavor.

Popcorn lung in e-cigarette users

E-cigarettes come in many flavors, making them appealing to teenagers as well as adults. Most users think these are a healthy substitute for smoking cigarettes. Unfortunately, they are misguided. The same chemical, diacetyl, that produced irreversible bronchiolitis obliterans and even death to workers in popcorn factories, is present in many of the flavored ‘juices’ of e-cigarettes.

Harvard researchers found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contained diacetyl and, of the two other harmful chemicals present, 23 included 2,3 pentanedione and 46 contained acetoin. In total, approximately 92 percent of e-cigarettes tested had at least one of the three chemicals.

What is popcorn lung?

The scientific disease name, bronchiolitis obliterans, is actually a scarring of the lungs’ small air sacs. This scarring thickens and narrows the airways. Though the common disease name, popcorn lung, sounds harmless, it definitely is not. The devastating results are coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath – similar symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – and can lead to death.

Why is this legal?

Once the effects on popcorn workers were discovered, diacetyl was removed from popcorn products. However, until the May 5th announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they will extend their oversight on tobacco products to include e-cigarettes, there was no FDA oversight. This announcement means that in August key provisions of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on sales, marketing, and manufacturing of e-cigarettes will be enforced, but there is a caveat. For three years manufacturers can test their products and complete FDA applications for review while their products can remain in the market.

The 2015 Harvard study concluded, “Because of the associations between diacetyl and bronchiolitis obliterans and other severe respiratory diseases observed in workers, urgent action is recommended to further evaluate this potentially widespread exposure via flavored e-cigarettes.”

While there are groups wanting more proof that there is actual danger, the American Lung Association thinks the danger is real, three years is too long, and the FDA should quickly require removing diacetyl and all other harmful chemicals from e-cigarettes.

Learn more

Even if you are still undecided about the effects of diacetyl in vaping, there are many other additives in e-cigarettes that are harmful, including nicotine, formaldehyde, carbonyl compounds, metals, propylene glycol, glycerol, fine particulate matter, and flavoring chemicals.

Here are two good links. For more public information on e-cigarettes and lung health and for a number of articles on how to quit – or help someone else quit – smoking.

Does Vaping e-Cigarettes Jump from the Frying Pan into the Fire?

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Man smoking e-cigarette

People looking for a healthier alternative to smoking “real” cigarettes and teens on the lookout for something new, may find themselves with serious health issues. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, told USA TODAY Network, “There are no FDA regulations on these products. It’s the Wild West of e-cigarettes.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported use among teens tripled between 2013 and 2014. They, as well as adults, are lured into using these through advertising, peer pressure, and enticing flavors mimicking candies, cupcakes, as well as alcohol – in fact, there are over 7,000 chemically replicated flavors on the market.

The T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard tested 51 types of flavored e-cigarettes and liquids – all sold by major brands. They tested for diacetyl, acetoin, and two flavoring compounds listed as high priority by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association. Of these chemicals, at least one was found in 47 of the 51 flavors tested. All have been proven to cause respiratory issues in factory workers. Diacetyl was above the laboratory limit for detection in 39 of the flavors tested.

Why is diacetyl such a disturbing find? It has a confirmed link to “brochiolitis obliterans,” a condition that has led to lung transplants in serious cases. This disease gained notoriety when workers inhaled diacetyl from the butter flavoring in popcorn factories, which led to naming the disease “popcorn lung.” As it is still early in the history of flavored e-cigarettes, there is not yet a definite link to the disease, but this study adds to the discussion concerning the ramifications of long-term use of e-cigarettes.

Sources: USA TODAY, Harvard Gazette