The popular activity of smoking e-cigarettes, or vaping, is on the rise. But the risks may significantly outweigh any benefit as this new trend has resulted in users reporting serious coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that in October of 2019, over 1,400 cases of vaping related illnesses were reported across 49 states, except Alaska. 33 of these patients died. These statistics are growing each day.
While tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Vitamin E have been reported to be a common ingredient in each of these cases, the CDC is advising that all consumers refrain from using all forms of e-cigarettes and vaping products until the exact cause of these illnesses can be determined. What’s alarming is that regulatory bodies such as the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are still investigating these products.
No age group has been immune from these symptoms. In fact, 15% of these cases affected users under 18 years old; 21% of the cases affected users between 18-20 years old; 18% of the cases affected users between 21-24 years old; 25% of the cases affected users between 25-34 years old; and 21% of the cases affected users 35 years of age, and older. New Hampshire had a lower incident rate, reporting under 10 cases, however, just south of us between 10-49 cases were reported in Massachusetts.
While vaping remains a popular activity across all age groups, it is important to remember the risks that have a direct correlation with this activity. For your own health and safety, it is likely a safe choice to stop vaping and to encourage others to do the same.