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WASHINGTON (AP) – US health authorities are investigating the possibility of e-cigarettes causing seizures in some people who use nicotine sprays.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it had examined 35 seizure reports among consumers of electronic cigarettes, mostly among young people. Regulators emphasized that it was not yet clear whether vaping was responsible. But they said they were worried and encouraged the public to share information on the subject.
These cases warrant "an investigation to determine if there really is a link," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a statement. Gottlieb retires Friday after nearly two years at the head of the agency.
Cases date back to 2010 and have been reported to the FDA or the country's poison control centers. Regulators said they detected a slight increase in reports starting in mid-2018. Although they represent a tiny fraction of Americans who have used e-cigarettes, many safety issues related to foods, supplements and other consumer products may not be recognized because reporting is voluntary.
Most electronic cigarettes heat a nicotine solution flavored with inhalable vapor. Battery-powered devices have become a multi-billion dollar industry, although there are few standards, including regarding the amount of nicotine provided. In addition, many refillable electronic cigarettes can be used with variable strength nicotine formulas.
Nicotine intoxication can cause seizures, seizures, vomiting and brain damage. The FDA has already warned of potentially lethal nicotine poisoning in infants and children who have swallowed nicotine solutions by accident.
Seizures usually last a few seconds or minutes and rarely cause permanent damage. But they can be a sign of underlying neurological disorders that require medical attention.
Studies in the lab and on animals have shown a link between nicotine and cerebral hyperactivity. Maciej Goniewicz, a toxicologist at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, aims to determine what type of e-cigarette could provide nicotine levels that could lead to seizures.
The FDA said the handful of seizure reports often lacked information about the e-cigarette brand or that users had a health problem that could have contributed to it. In some cases, e-cigarettes were used with drugs such as marijuana and amphetamines. Some seizures were reported after a few puffs from the device, others after a day of use.
The FDA is asking consumers to report problems on an online site. The agency is looking for details on vaping brands and models and wants to know if users with problems were also taking medications, supplements or other medications.
A spokesman for the American Vaping Association called the FDA's announcement "incredibly irresponsible," given the uncertain link that exists between electronic cigarettes and the handful of reports cited.
"It would be very unusual for zero consumer of a product used by millions of adults over the past decade to have reported a seizure," said spokesman Gregory. Conley in a statement.
This is not the first time the FDA has reported a potential health hazard with vaping devices. The agency warned of rare burns and explosions related to the overheating of the batteries that power the devices.
The last concern comes from a national effort to combat the use of electronic cigarettes by minors, who have gained popularity among high school and college students. Last month, the FDA announced new restrictions on retail and online sales of most flavored electronic cigarettes. Meanwhile, local and state officials are considering age restrictions, taxes, and flavor bans to keep products out of reach of teens.
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Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: @AP_FDAwriter
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The Associated Press Science & Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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