what happened to the vaping illness

More deaths, investigations and turmoil at Juul: Here’s what happened in the vaping crisis this week

• Outbreak spreads The vaping illness outbreak has now spread to 46 states and one territory with public health officials in 10 states reporting deaths. ...
• A ban on flavored e-cigarettes Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), testifies during a House Energy and Commerce hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. ...
• Juul ...
• Congressional hearings ...
• Philip Morris and Altria ...

Full Answer

What illnesses are caused by vaping?

Vaping illnesses and injuries associated with nicotine and chemical exposure may include:

• Asthma
• Brain development issues
• Bronchitis
• Bronchiolitis obliterans (aka Popcorn Lung – caused by exposure to the flavoring chemical diacetyl)
• Heart problems
• Respiratory illnesses

What are the dangers of vaping?

The interchangeable use of smoking and vaping is most common in people under age 35. They face equal risk of heart attack or stroke than if they lit up exclusively. The takeaway is that there is no ‘best’ method of inhaling nicotine.

How many people have died from vaping?

Vaping caused the death of sixty-eight people in the US between December 3rd, 2019 and February 18th, 2020. These deaths occurred across the US—in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Contrary to what you might believe, the median age of the people who died was 49.5 years. The youngest victim was 15, and the oldest—75 years old. 5.

What does vaping do to your lungs?

Vaping-related Lung Injury

• Risks related to vaping. Exposure to nicotine: Nicotine is highly addictive, can harm adolescent brain development, and is toxic to fetuses.
• Symptoms of vaping-related lung injury. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION if you, or someone you know, are experiencing these symptoms. ...
• Additional information. ...

What are the symptoms of the new vaping disease?

What are the symptoms of EVALI?Shortness of breath.Cough.Chest pain.Fever and chills.Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.Rapid heartbeat.Rapid and shallow breathing.

What is the health issue with vaping?

2: Research suggests vaping is bad for your heart and lungs. It causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving. Nicotine is a toxic substance. It raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack.

What did vaping do to your lungs?

Vaping and Popcorn Lung Diacetyl is frequently added to flavored e-liquid to enhance the taste. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and may lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways — popcorn lung — which makes breathing difficult. Popcorn lung has no lasting treatment.

Can your lungs heal from vaping?

Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death.

What are 5 dangers of vaping?

5 Dangers of VapingUnknown Chemicals.Illicit Substance Additives.Vaping Impacts Brain Development.Long-Term Lung Damage.Marketing and Media Influence.

How do I clean my lungs from vaping?

Ways to clear the lungsSteam therapy. Steam therapy, or steam inhalation, involves inhaling water vapor to open the airways and may also help to loosen mucus. ... Controlled coughing. ... Draining mucus from the lungs. ... Exercise. ... Green tea. ... Anti-inflammatory foods. ... Chest percussion.

How long does vaping take to damage lungs?

Exposure for just three days was enough to incur sufficient damage to their lungs, setting the stage for long-term chronic lung damage.

How long does it take your lungs to heal from vaping?

After two weeks: your circulation and lung function begin to improve. After one to nine months: clear and deeper breathing gradually returns; you have less coughing and shortness of breath; you regain the ability to cough productively instead of hacking, which cleans your lungs and reduce your risk of infection.

What are 10 risks of vaping?

Serious & Potentially Long-Term Effects of VapingNicotine addiction.Severe lung injury.Seizures.Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), formerly known as idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP)Popcorn lung.Strokes.Heart attacks.

Is vape worse than cigarettes?

Smoking has been proven to cause cancer, which can kill you. But vaping has been proven to cause serious lung illness, which can also kill you. The bottom line is: Smoking kills. Vaping kills you faster.

Does vaping cause long-term damage?

While the severe lung disease and related deaths that have been associated with the use of e-cigarettes give pause to some users, two UCLA Health pulmonologists caution that beyond the immediate concerns about illness, vaping poses longer-term threats in the form of nicotine addiction and potential lung damage.

Are e cigs worse than cigarettes?

Are e-cigarettes less harmful than regular cigarettes? Yes—but that doesn't mean e-cigarettes are safe. E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than the deadly mix of 7,000 chemicals in smoke from regular cigarettes. However, e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless.

What happens if you can't stop vaping?

If people are unable to stop vaping, the CDC suggests they monitor themselves for symptoms and seek prompt medical attention if they experience cough, shortness of breath, chest pain or nausea and vomiting.

How long does it take for vaping to start?

In all confirmed cases, patients reported vaping within 90 days of developing symptoms, and most had vaped within a week of symptom onset. Patients with confirmed cases have been tested to rule out infections that could explain their symptoms. There is no indication that the outbreak is contagious.

What are the public health agencies investigating?

Public health agencies are investigating hundreds of cases of lung disease related to vaping and electronic cigarette use. Public health agencies are investigating hundreds of cases of lung disease related to vaping and electronic cigarette use.

Is it safe to inhale vitamin E?

Nonetheless, the FDA said in a statement, "it is prudent to avoid inhaling this substance." Vitamin E is a component of many topical consumer products and supplements.

Is the FDA prosecuting vaping?

"We are in desperate need of facts," Zeller said. He emphasized that the FDA is not looking to prosecute anyone for personal use of any of the substances linked to the vaping illnesses.

Is the CDC investigation still ongoing?

But the results are still inconclusive. In a press briefing on Friday, the CDC reported that the investigation is ongoing, and involves several federal agencies and state health departments.

Is there a definitive link to any brand of device, ingredient, flavor or substance among all outbreak patients?

There is still no definitive link to any brand of device, ingredient, flavor or substance among all outbreak patients , but according to the CDC's most recent statement, health officials are beginning to see "patterns emerge.".

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.

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).

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.

When did the CDC stop collecting data?

Due to the subsequent identification of the primary cause of EVALI, and the considerable decline in EVALI cases and deaths since a peak in September 2019, CDC stopped collecting these data from states as of February 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.

Who monitors e-cigarettes?

CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners are continuing to monitor e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI).

What is vaping illness?

First, let's cover the basics. The condition has been given the term EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury). Whether intentionally or not, it's an acronym that speaks directly to how little is known about the illness; thus far, the only solid link between cases is that those who fell ill reported a history of vaping or e-cigarette use. Sufferers typically report a gradual onset of early symptoms over days or weeks, including respiratory symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath, as well as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and weight loss.

How many people died from vaping in 2019?

The first smattering of cases were recognized in April 2019. By August, the mysterious illness had claimed its first lives. Months later, with the case count at 2,290 and 47 confirmed deaths, health organizations are scrambling to discover the cause of the vaping-related illness. Much is still unknown about the illness and its causes, ...

How does vaping work?

Beth K. Thielen, University of Minnesota fellow in adult and pediatric infectious diseases, offers a helpful explanation: "With both, the goal of the user is to convert the drug — typically nicotine or THC — into a gas form that can be taken into the body by breathing the drug. With vaping, there is typically a heating element powered by a battery that converts the liquid contents of the vape cartridge into a gas or aerosol. While the way they generate aerosols or gases is different, both smoking and vaping can deliver potentially harmful byproducts in addition to the drug."

What percentage of vaping patients are male?

Of the reported cases where the requisite data is available, the CDC reports that 70 percent of patients are male, 79 percent are under the age of 35, and a full 86 percent report the use of products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — the main psychoactive compound present in marijuana — suggesting that the chemical plays a marked role in this outbreak.

What are the metals in e-cigarettes?

As far back as February 28, scientists at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health warned that the tiny metal coils inside an e-cigarette — that heat and ultimately aerosolize the liquid nitrogen — could be tainted with toxic metals like chromium, manganese, nickel, and even lead.

Is smoking a byproduct of vaping?

With smoking, of course, we now know that those potentially harmful byproducts, include tar and carbon monoxide, ingredients e-cigarettes were specifically designed to sidestep. But in avoiding one potential contaminant, the largely unregulated vaping industry opened the door to a host of others.

Is the e-cigarette industry regulated?

However, it's important to note that the entire e-cigarette industry is ultimately unregulated. In the decade that e-cigarettes have been on the market, the FDA has repeatedly delayed its review of e-cigarettes, a lapse the agency has vowed to address.

How many people died from vaping?

Without clear answers to what caused the lung injuries, myths and misconceptions about the potential dangers gained traction as the number of confirmed cases of vaping-related lung illnesses nationwide topped 2,500, with 54 deaths.

What are the health issues with the cigarette company?

Some plaintiff lawyers allege breathing problems and other illnesses, but the most obvious health issue is nicotine addiction, which can be very difficult to overcome and can lead to cigarette smoking and other risky tobacco use.

How many products are used in THC vapes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 152 different products were used by the 482 hospitalized patients who used THC vapes and provided information about the products they consumed. The four most common brands included two that are sold legally but had been widely counterfeited.

Is Juul a carcinogen?

Much remains unknown about the long-term effects of vaping, but there are a variety of concerns about carcinogens in the chemicals. Juul, the nicotine vape brand favored by young people, is the subject of many lawsuits for its marketing practices. So far three states, including New York, also have sued the company.

Can you quit vaping at 21?

Still, you should try to quit as soon as possible. Much remains unknown about the long-term effects of vaping, but there are a variety of concerns about carcinogens in the chemicals.

Is vaping a nicotine thing?

Isn't vaping a nicotine thing? Yes, people vape nicotine, but they also vape cannabis products. In fact, the overwhelming majority of vaping-related lung illnesses, including those reported on in medical journals, involve tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. That's the ingredient in marijuana that makes you high.

Can you switch from smoking to vaping?

But the report also says if you switch completely from smoking to vaping – and don't do both – there's "conclusive evidence" that you will reduce your "exposure to numerous toxicants and carcinogens present in combustible tobacco cigarettes,".

When did the number of vaping deaths decrease?

According to CDC, the number of newly reported vaping-related ED visits has gradually declined since peaking in September 2019. In addition, the total number of reported deaths linked to the vaping illness hasn't increased since reaching 60 as of Jan. 14.

Is vaping linked to lung disease?

The rate of new cases of a vaping-linked lung illness has gradually decreased since peaking in September 2019, according to CDC. Here are three reasons the agency said the outbreak has slowed, and updated recommendations on how to keep the lung illness at bay.

How long did Justin Wilson vape?

Justin Wilson, 25, vaped for about a year and then suddenly collapsed, unable to breathe, on Sept. 1. He had to spend a week in a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Courtesy Jake Wilson. Sept. 13, 2019, 7:40 AM PDT / Source: TODAY. By A. Pawlowski.

What kind of vapes did Justin use?

Justin had been using a Juul device and mint-flavored nicotine pods, his favorite. He bought mostly Juul products, plus the occasional off-brands available at stores. He would puff on the mint vapes constantly, draining about two pods a day.

What is Justin's diagnosis?

It was the start of a frightening ordeal that left him unconscious for days and had doctors puzzled until they arrived at the official diagnosis: vaping toxicity. Justin’s case is part of a vaping crisis that now includes hundreds of incidents of vaping- related illnesses across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control ...

What are the symptoms of a syringe?

Any new respiratory symptom should be reason for concern, including: 1 coughing 2 shortness of breath 3 chest tightness 4 wheezing 5 general symptoms like extreme fatigue or fever are also warning signs.

Is vaping safe for kids?

Vaping is not as safe as people thought it was, said Dr. Humberto Choi, a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Choi has treated several of the vaping-related illnesses and has recently been inundated by calls from parents worried their children are exhibiting worrisome symptoms.

Did Justin have asthma?

There were some concerns along the way: Justin had been diagnosed with asthma when he was 5, but he’d never had an asthma attack or needed an inhaler until after he started vaping, his father said.

Will Justin go back to vaping?

Another theory is that the heated vapor returned to oil form inside the cooler human body, his father said. “There’s no way” Justin will go back to vaping, he said. Family friends are now throwing away their vape pens after learning about the ordeal, Jake Wilson added.

Overview

Public health recommendations

Background

United States

Canada

Other countries

Investigation

Illicit vaping