Symptoms of difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pains, gastrointestinal sickness leading to serious lung damage and death has been linked to the risk behavior of using vaping products bought on the streets in healthy young people. CDC has detected vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people with the lung injury.
Is vitamin E acetate the cause of vaping-related illness?
Vitamin E acetate could be the cause of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. Federal health officials have reportedly found vitamin E acetate in the lung fluid of more than two-dozen patients diagnosed with the mysterious vaping-related illness that's so far sickened over 2,000 people and killed 39.
Is vitamin E acetate bad for Your Lungs?
However, previous research suggests that when vitamin E acetate is inhaled, it may interfere with normal lung functioning. If you have questions about CDC’s investigation into the lung injuries associated with use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products, contact CDC-INFO or call 1-800-232-4636.
What is vitamin E acetate and what does it do?
Federal health officials have reportedly found vitamin E acetate in the lung fluid of more than two-dozen patients diagnosed with the mysterious vaping-related illness that's so far sickened over 2,000 people and killed 39. Vitamin E acetate is an additive in some THC-containing products.
Is vitamin E acetate linked to evali outbreak?
Law enforcement actions related to illicit products. Laboratory data show that vitamin E acetate, an additive in some THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products, is strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak.
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Abstract
The United States Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working with state investigators on reported cases of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarette or vaping products.
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Characteristics of E-cigarette, or Vaping, Products Used by Patients with Associated Lung Injury and Products Seized by Law Enforcement - Minnesota, 2018 and 2019.
Is vaping a good alternative to smoking?
Note that vaping is less harmful than smoking, as tobacco cigarettes contain more toxic chemicals. However, vaping is not entirely a safe option.
Will vaping concerns affect the legalization decision?
Also, surveys show that people are more inclined to try edibles than smoking or vaping cannabis.
How may vitamin E acetate lead to vaping-related illness?
She points out that there is a “pretty strong correlation” between vitamin E acetate and EVALI, but there’s no current proof that vitamin E acetate actually causes EVALI —just that it’s been detected in many EVALI patients. Still, “vitamin E is the most likely culprit at this point,” Alan says.
What are the symptoms of e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes and vaping products cause EVALI, and it’s a serious condition that causes symptoms that are similar to those of pneumonia or the flu. People with EVALI have experienced the following symptoms, according to the CDC: 1 Coughing 2 Chest pain 3 Shortness of breath 4 Abdominal pain 5 Nausea 6 Vomiting 7 Diarrhea 8 Fever 9 Chills 10 Weight loss
Can vaping cause evali?
E-cigarettes and vaping products cause EVALI, and it’s a serious condition that causes symptoms that are similar to those of pneumonia or the flu. People with EVALI have experienced the following symptoms, according to the CDC:
What is vaping a cigarette?
“Vaping” (i.e., heating) is the practice of inhaling an aerosol created by heating a liquid or wax containing substances , such as nicotine, cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol, additives, and flavorings such as propylene glycol, glycerol and flavored nicotine [1]. Vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI, also called vaping associated pulmonary injury [VAPI]) is an acute or subacute respiratory illness with damage to the alveoli that can be severe and life-threatening [2-3]. There are many available devices to generate this aerosol, including battery-operated electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vape pens, or vape mods [4]. While the specific cause of vaping-related illnesses has been widely debated among the general public and physicians, new research points to vitamin E acetate as a potential culprit in the vape-related lung illness outbreak. Vitamin E acetate is an oily chemical commonly added to THC vaping liquids to dilute or thicken them; the substance has been acknowledged as a potential toxin of concern by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), due to its ability to remain in the lungs for long periods of time, and therefore cause complications in the lungs. The identification of vitamin E acetate as a harmful chemical in vaping liquid allows physicians to implement more concentrated care when treating vape-related illnesses and allows for the general public to gain a better understanding of the harmful substances in vaping products.
What are the ingredients in vape?
The ingredients of vape that are suspected of contributing to the development of vaping-related illnesses are THC and vitamin E acetate. THC is an ingredient used in many vape products, and many patients experiencing vape-related complications have admitted to using THC-containing products in the past, leading the FDA to believe that THC may play a role in the vape-related illness outbreak. The FDA has issued a public warning to stop using THC-containing vape products, as the compound may be contributing to lung illnesses related to vaping. Specifically, vitamin E acetate is most commonly used as an additive in THC-containing vape/e-cigarette products; vitamin E acetate is an oily chemical added to THC vaping liquids used to thicken or dilute them. A vape-related injury concerning a teenage boy in Canada has recently gained the media’s attention as well. The 17-year-old boy vaped “intensively,” adding THC to his devices. He initially showed symptoms aligning with bronchiolitis (lung condition normally caused by a bacterial or viral infection), but many patients that have vape-related illnesses in the United States have experienced damage to the alveoli; this type of injury was not found. Instead, his case aligned more with an injury called “popcorn lung,” an ailment most commonly seen in factory workers of microwave popcorn plants nearly 20 years ago. This new vape-related case calls for further exploration into the toxicity of vape liquid, as the patient’s condition could have been caused by the THC added to the vaping devices, or the chemical that affected factory workers in the past - diacetyl. Diacetyl is present in many e-cigarette flavors [14]. The American Lung Association has called for the FDA to require that diacetyl and other hazardous chemicals be removed from e-cigarette cartridges.
What is vitamin E acetate?
Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive, most notably in THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products. Vitamin E is a vitamin found in many foods, including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, fruits, and vegetables. It is also available as a dietary supplement and in many cosmetic products, like skin creams.
What is an e-cigarette?
Using an e-cigarette is commonly called vaping. E-cigarettes work by heating a liquid to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs.
How many deaths from evali in 2020?
As of February 18, 2020, a total of 2,807 hospitalized EVALI cases or deaths have been reported to CDC from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). Sixty-eight deaths have been confirmed in 29 states and the District of Columbia (as of February 18, 2020).
How to contact CDC about e-cigarettes?
If you have questions about CDC’s investigation into the lung injuries associated with use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products, contact CDC-INFO or call 1-800-232-4636.
Is vitamin E acetate linked to the eli outbreak?
Vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak. Vitamin E acetate has been found in product samples tested by FDA and state laboratories and in patient lung fluid samples tested by CDC from geographically diverse states. Vitamin E acetate has not been found in the lung fluid of people that do not have EVALI.
When is the next vaping hospital admission?
Dates of symptom onset and hospital admission for patients with lung injury associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping — United States, March 31, 2019–February 15, 2020. Numbers do not sum to 2,807 due to missing admission dates.
When will vaping peak?
Emergency department (ED) visits related to e-cigarette, or vaping, products continue to decline, after sharply increasing in August 2019 and peaking in September.
