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The rise of mysterious and deadly lung diseases suspected of being linked to nicotine fumes or cannabis-related products is forcing doctors and public health experts across the country to try to identify a definitive cause. The pandemic focuses on the mysterious and un-studied effects of vaping and also raises concerns about the medical consequences of this long-term vape for teens – among the largest users of e-cigarettes – a high school student on five in the United States vape.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the number of vaping-related illnesses reached at least 450 cases in 33 states and the Virgin Islands, and warned people against the disease. use of electronic cigarettes, especially those bought on the street.
Five people have died from respiratory illnesses related to vapor inhalation – in Illinois, Oregon, Indiana, Minnesota and California, the CDC announced Friday. A large number of sick patients, but not all, reported using products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana. A smaller group reported using only nicotine.
No infectious cause has been identified and the CDC has stated that "lung diseases are probably associated with chemical exposure", but warned that it is too early to identify an electronic cigarette product or substance common in all cases.
In a preliminary study released Friday, officials from Illinois and Wisconsin detailed 53 cases they investigated – 28 in Wisconsin and 25 in Illinois. Most of the patients were men, aged on average 19 years old and all in good health.
All patients had a history of using electronic cigarettes: 80% reported using products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana; 61% used nicotine products; and 7% had used cannabidiol or CBD products.
In some cases, patients used only THC-based products or only nicotine. Patients reported using 14 different brands of THC products and 13 brands of nicotine products in a wide range of flavors. "Dank Vape" was the most commonly reported THC product.
The CDC has urged people to stay away from electronic cigarette products, especially those bought on the street, while investigators are working to determine exactly what is behind the lung diseases.
This announcement is the latest indicator of the potential health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes in teens.
Between 2017 and 2018, the consumption of electronic cigarettes among high school students increased by 78% (from 11.7 to 20.8%), according to a survey funded by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .
Health and Social Services Secretary Alex Azar said the new data revealed that the country "is facing an epidemic of e-cigarette use among young people," which "would threaten to". engulf a new generation of nicotine addicts. "
Former FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, stated that e-cigarettes were not safe for children and teens, said they "could be a less harmful alternative for smokers." addicts who are still looking for nicotine ". However, he added, the agency "will not allow this opportunity to present itself at the expense of a whole new generation of nicotine addicts".
The investigation, commissioned by the FDA and the CDC, suggested that the increase in the use of electronic cigarettes in children and adolescents was likely due to the recent popularity of certain types of devices vaping devices, such as JUUL, that look like USB sticks. The product can be used discreetly, produce high levels of nicotine and present with sweet and fruity aromas such as mango, watermelon and cream, which appeal to children. (JUUL, under pressure from the FDA, stopped selling most of its flavored nicotine capsules in stores last year, but continues to sell them on its restricted website due to age. .)
Despite the widespread popularity of e-cigarettes, their effects on the health of those who use them remain largely unknown. Although electronic cigarettes do not usually produce the tar or toxic gases found in ordinary cigarettes, all JUUL and most electronic cigarettes contain the addictive substance, nicotine.
Most research suggests that electronic cigarettes are far less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but that does not mean that they are foolproof. Recent reports on a "mysterious disease related to vaping", links between the use of electronic cigarette and heart disease, teenage lung disease and the impact of vaping on blood flow (even without nicotine) have led some people to believe that cigarettes are as or even more dangerous than regular cigarettes, even though most doctors and public health experts agree that vaping is generally less harmful.
"I would say that people are receiving false and misleading information by suggesting that vaping is as bad as smoking," said Salon Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, whose the research is focused on reducing tobacco.
"There are a lot of adult vapers who are scared when they hear that vaping is as bad as smoking, and then they logically conclude," Well, why not just smoke? ", He continued." This is a devastating consequence for public health. "
Since e-cigarettes are a relatively new product, the potential health risks associated with such devices are considered preliminary and far from conclusive. It may take years, if not decades, for researchers to discover the full and lasting impact of e-cigarettes on health, especially among young, healthy consumers.
In addition, there are around 500 different e-cigarettes on the market and each of them provides different levels of nicotine (or not at all), flavors and combinations of chemicals. This makes it even more difficult to evaluate the effects of vaping on health.
Dr. Tavis Glassman, a professor at Toledo University School of Population Health, whose research focuses on adolescent smoking, told Salon that, in addition to the unknown effects on health, he fears that adolescents "underestimate the nature of nicotine addiction" and considers potential threats as "false information".
Although e-cigarettes are often considered less deadly than cigarettes or cigars, health professionals have warned that the way they produce nicotine can harm the developing brain parts of adolescents controlling addictive behaviors, attention, learning, mood and impulse control. , Especially because they can deliver higher nicotine concentrations per puff than traditional cigarettes.
"Since these pods are so easily hidden (devices connected to computers, even wrists), users can have uninterrupted continuous access between shots, resulting in extremely high levels of nicotine in the body." explained Dr. Geraldine Britton, director of Interdisciplinary Research Program on Smoking at the University of Binghamton.
Britton added that while some adults use electronic cigarette products to help them quit smoking, many teens who have never smoked tobacco are now using electronic cigarettes for recreational purposes. She pointed out that the popularity of e-cigarettes among teens "contributes to the renormalization of smoking in our society and the rebound of its long-term cardiovascular and carcinogenic effects".
Indeed, research suggests that, compared to non-users, youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to switch to traditional smoking. The report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on the effects of electronic cigarettes on health concludes: "There is substantial evidence that the use of electronic cigarettes increases the risk of ever consuming of smoking tobacco cigarettes among young people and young adults ".
Another study by RAND Corporation, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, reaches the same conclusion, but notes that adolescents do not substitute vaping products for cigarettes. Instead, "they will use both products more frequently as they get older," said Michael Dunbar, lead author of the study and behavioral specialist.
While health professionals have sounded the alarm about the potential risks associated with electronic cigarette products, vape manufacturers, including JUUL, are increasingly being watched for allowing miners to take advantage of the dangers. access to its devices, but also to market them in a way that mainly attracts users. teens, with humorous and humorous social media articles, sweet products and paid partnerships with online "influencers".
In response to criticism, the popular vaping company, which has spurred teenage accounts and parody accounts, has closed its Instagram and Facebook accounts and strengthened the age verification process on its website. as part of a "plan of action" to combat the teenage craze of vaping.
"By discouraging the promotion of the JUUL system in social media by removing our accounts, we can better prevent teens and non-smokers from ever investing in the device," said Kevin Burns, CEO of the company. last November.
Although some applauded the move, others pointed out that it does not go far enough to curb the dangerous trend.
In the face of growing health concerns, some cities across the country have decided to impose limits on e-cigarettes. At least a dozen years have raised the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco and vaping devices from 18 to 21 years old.
Earlier this week, Michigan became the first state in the country to ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes in tales and online. Recent studies have shown that vaping products containing sweet, fruity and mentholated aromas are more likely to attract teenagers and contribute to nicotine addiction.
In June, San Francisco, California, city of JUUL, became the first major city in the country to ban the sale of all non-FDA approved electronic cigarettes. The ban is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2020.
Siegel, the professor at Boston University, criticized the ban on vaping imposed by Michigan and his ilk. He said the measures will have "very negative effects" on public health.
"I see no justification for public health to ban e-cigarettes, but to let cigarettes stay, especially if you fear that children may smoke," he said about the 39, prohibition of Michigan. "This law will have the effect that many ex-adult smokers will start smoking again when their [e-cigarette] the products are no longer available. "
"And the ultimate irony of this law is that ex-adult smokers who do not start smoking will probably start buying off the black market," he added. "The governor has just created a black market that did not exist before and these products will not be regulated by the FDA."
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