CAP: Vaping/THC Alert

TOXICS FOCUS: VAPING (aka e-cigarettes)

On this page, you will find two sections:

* STEP NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: Vaping/THC Alert

* ADDED RESOURCES: Links to key information about this topic

Article from The Next STEP newsletter
Volume 19, Number 6 (November/December 2019)
(c) Patricia Dines, 2019. All rights reserved.

Vaping/THC Alert

If you or someone you care about is vaping (smoking with an e-cigarette or vaping pen), I encourage you to find out what exact products are being used and their risks.

Even if you don’t know if a young person in your life is vaping, it can be helpful to initiate a conversation with them about this. A recent survey found that over a third of U.S. high school seniors currently use e-cigs. And the devices can look like other things, such as fountain pens or computer USB drives.

Some people see e-cigs as innocuous, assuming that the vapor is just water and flavoring. They don’t realize that the “e-juice” (liquid in the cartridge) and vapor can contain: addictive nicotine, toxic materials such as propylene glycol, harmful metals such as chromium and cadmium, vitamin E acetate which can coat lungs with oil, flavorings that can cause acute lung injury, potentially toxic metal nanoparticles from the device itself, and other materials that are not proven safe to heat and breathe into our delicate lungs.

The labels won’t tell you all this! And, unlike the human digestive tract (which can break down and discard foreign substances), our lungs aren’t designed to handle anything except gases. E-cigs have been linked to a variety of illnesses, including seizures, stroke, and emphysema. To read our prior article about the risks, see the STEP Index under e-cigs. [Here's the direct link to our prior article:

XIII/6.]

Now a new problem has developed: An outbreak of a mysterious lung illness that strikes those who vape. So far, 1,299 people are known to have been injured, with 26 deaths. Patients can start with pneumonia-like symptoms, but quickly require high levels of hospital support to stay alive. Even after they recover, their lungs can be permanently damaged, impacting their entire life trajectory.

“We are dealing with a new epidemic,” says Dr. Melodi Pirzada, a pediatric pulmonologist at NYU Winthrop Hospital.

All of these patients reported e-cig use, and many use THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana/cannabis. Investigators are considering various causes, including those noted above plus unlicensed cartridges. However, no single substance or product has yet been linked to all the cases, says the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Thus it’s advising people not to vape nicotine or THC right now. (See their general advice at the link below.)

This is just the latest example of the risks of this novel product. And, while some regulations are emerging, some observers say that it’s been too little too late. Therefore, we need to watch out for ourselves ... and each other!

SOURCES
* www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html

* www.truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/e-cigarettes-facts-stats-and-regulations
* Additional details in this article were pulled from some of the resources below.

For more information:

Vaping-related lung injury cases jump to 1,299; deaths rise to 26
Oct. 10, 2019
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/10/vaping-illness-cases-surge-1-299-deaths-rise-26/3929535002

Teen's Lung and Kidneys Destroyed by Vaping Illness: 'I Begged My Parents to Let Me Die'
November 25, 2019
https://news.yahoo.com/teens-lung-kidneys-destroyed-vaping-135046029.html

US officials identify 'strong culprit' in mysterious vaping illnesses
Associated Press, November 8, 2019
www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10284314-181/us-officials-identify-strong-culprit

Tests show contaminant found in marijuana vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses
September 6, 2019
www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10010114-181/tests-show-contaminant-found-in

Respiratory Illnesses Associated with Use of Vaping Products
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/lung-illnesses-associated-use-vaping-products

A recent study discovered that vaping with nicotine causes sticky mucus that may lead to chronic illness.
June 27, 2019
www.lung.org/about-us/blog/2019/06/another-gross-reason.html

Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide
NBC News commissioned laboratory tests of knock-off marijuana vapes that found a pesticide linked to hydrogen cyanide in 10 out 10 products.
What's really inside vaping cartridges?
Sept. 27, 2019
www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/tests-show-bootleg-marijuana-vapes-tainted-hydrogen-cyanide-n1059356

A teen says she wouldn't have tried Juul's e-cigarettes had she known they contained nicotine, and is now considering a lawsuit
November 25, 2019
https://news.yahoo.com/teen-says-she-wouldnt-tried-170014337.html

Beyond Nicotine: Vaping Marijuana
October 2018
www.centeronaddiction.org/e-cigarettes/recreational-vaping/beyond-nicotine-vaping-marijuana

Vaping: The Threat to Public Health and the ATS Response
www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/disease-related-resources/vaping-the-threat-to-public-health-and-the-ats-response.php

Respiratory Societies Warn About Electronic Cigarette Use in Youth; World No Tobacco Day May 31
May 31, 2018
www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/2018/respiratory-societies-warn-about-electronic-cigarette-use-in-youth.php

To vape or not to vape? Probably: Not to vape
October 20, 2017
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171020105346.htm

Almost one in 20 U.S. adults now use e-cigarettes
August 27, 2018
www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ecigs-us-adults/almost-one-in-20-u-s-adults-now-use-e-cigarettes-idUSKCN1LC2DN

Does the FDA Even Regulate E-Cigs? Actually Kinda Not
Sept.18, 2019
www.wired.com/story/dangerous-levels-of-carcinogen-in-mint-flavored-vapes/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Electronic Cigarettes
www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/index.htm

Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes)
www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/electronic-cigarettes-e-cigarettes

Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)
www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/vaporizers-e-cigarettes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends

5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping

What Parents Need to Know about Vaping and JUULing
https://5210.psu.edu/what-parents-need-to-know-vaping-juuling/

* For more information about STEP (the Sebastopol Toxics Education Program), click here.

* For more information about organics and other alternatives to toxics, see our page Toxics and Alternatives Resources Page.

* For information about Sonoma County and area toxics, organics, and environmental and political information and action, see our page Sonoma County Resources Page.

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