One of the most covered topics by the media currently is the vaping illness outbreaks. According to the CDC, there have been 530 confirmed cases of lung damage and 7 deaths, possibly due to the usage of e-cigs. The states with confirmed deaths are California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, and Oregon.
The cases are high among young people, another statistic by the CDC says that 67% of these patients were between the ages of 18 and 34. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since a new survey conducted by the CDC showed that one in 4 of all surveyed high schools have used e-cigs in the previous 30 days. Investigators are unclear of what the actual reason for these illnesses are, but are sure that it is chemical related.
In almost all cannabis-related cases, vitamin E acetate was found (C31 H52 O3). Experts say that regardless of which kind, vitamin E should never be inhaled, due to a possibility of extensive lung damage. Vitamin E with the polyatomic ion of Acetate can be especially deadly because it can block the flow of gases which can cause the cells in your lungs to die out.
All this has led the Trump administration to call for a nationwide ban on flavored e-cigs. As of 9/21/19, 2 governors: Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) have banned the sale of flavored e-cigs in their states. On 9/17/19, Ohio governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) also announced that he was considering a similar ban. A spokesperson for him said that the issue is, “a severe public health issue that needs to be addressed”.
