Illness Linked To Vaping On Rise, CDC Issues Warning To E-Cigarette Users
The Center for Disease Control announced this week that number of people falling sick from an unexplained lung disease caused by vaping cigarettes has increased making doctors worry about ways to help these patients breathe. Recent figures released this week amount to 450 cases across 33 states and people have been advised by CDC to be cautious about buying these e-cigarettes from street vendors. Unfortunately the total number of deaths from respiratory diseases caused by vaping has also gone up to 5. CMO of Illinois Dept. of Health Dr. Jennifer Layden cautioned that these are people who suffered before their death.
Death cases were reported from Indiana, Oregon, Illinois, California and Minnesota. The dead man from Minnesota was over 65 and had been vaping illicit products that contained THC which is a psychoactive marijuana compound. The dead patient from California too was over 55 and had succumbed to a similar breathing problem after vaping THC. As per records among 12 patients suffering from the mysterious illness caused by vaping in the nation’s largest county only one did not have a cannabis product. In view of the growing number of people falling victim to this mysterious lung disease due to vaping CDC has asked people to avoid using vaping products until they are able to pinpoint the reason behind it.
The agency’s Lung Injury Response Team head Dr. Dana Meaney Delman stated that until they find out the cause, this is the only means of protecting vulnerable people. Director of LA County health dept. Barbara Ferrer has affirmed that her team is with CDC in advising people to refrain from vaping until they are able to gauge the reason behind lung damage and death among so many people. FDA has recently tested 120 samples but has not been able to identify any single brand, ingredient nor substance that could have led to the illness.
