Vaping Has Risks: Users Need to Be Cautious

After dozens of teenagers and adults developed serious respiratory illnesses, US health authorities issued a warning about e-cigarette products.
 
Doctors have already warned about the risks of using products containing THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, or products bought on the street.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 215 teenagers and adults in 25 states, including Illinois, developed severe respiratory illnesses after vaping.

The CDC said that in many cases, patients admitted they had recently used substances containing THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis.

But health authorities also warned against buying modified products and products from street sources.

This week, a teenager placed in a medically induced coma after developing a rare lung disease said her condition had developed after years of vaping.

Madeline Nelson, 18, urged the public not to use vaping devices, which are popular among teenagers. She said she had vaped daily for three years.

Ms. Nelson wrote in an emotional post on social media: “I’m sharing my story so that you all know that some of the things in these pens are not safe, and they almost cost me my life.”

CDC Director Robert Redfield and acting US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Ned Sharpless said in a statement: “Anyone who uses e-cigarette products should not buy these products on the street, should not modify e-cigarette products, and should not add any substances to these products that were not intended by the manufacturer.

“Regardless of the ongoing investigation, youth, young adults, pregnant women, and adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not use e-cigarette products.

Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns said his advice to current non-smokers was: ‘Don’t vape. Don’t use Juul. If you do not already have a relationship with nicotine, do not start using nicotine. Do not use this product. You are not our target consumer.’

A report by Public Health England described these devices as “95% less harmful” but said they “must be clearly positioned as products to help adult smokers quit smoking”.

Cancer Research UK said: “Research shows that people who switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes have lower levels of key harmful chemicals. There are still some questions about long-term safety because e-cigarettes have not been around that long.

But there is evidence that they are far less harmful than tobacco.

“In terms of safety, e-cigarettes may be closer to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT has long been regarded as a safer alternative to smoking.”