Vaping: A New Epidemic
BY SHERRY LUO – California. Kansas. Illinois. Indiana. Minnesota. Oregon. Missouri. Within each of these states, at least one vaping-related death occurred; all of them took place within the span of a month between August and September. In the United States alone, over 500 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses have been reported across 45 states and one territory, an unprecedented outbreak.
Most patients are relatively young. More than half of the cases are in people below the age of 25; 67% of the cases are in people ages 18 to 34, 16% are in people younger than 18 and 17% are in people age 35 and older. 72% of the cases are in males. The victims of the vaping-related deaths were middle-aged or older, and some had complicated medical histories, but that is not the case for most of the hospitalized patients.
E-cigarettes have been making headlines ever since the youth of America have taken up vaping. A quarter of high school students this year have reported vaping. Most teens think e-cigarettes are safe and start vaping because of the prevalence of the habit amongst their peers. The pleasant taste of flavored e-cigarettes and the nicotine buzz one gets from vaping are the most appealing factors. Some teens, however, vape excessively; one Juul pod contains the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Adam Hergenreder, an 18-year-old from Gurnee, Illinois, vaped so intensively over a year and a half that his lungs deteriorated to those of “a 70-year-old’s.”
Symptoms for vaping-related lung illnesses include fever, nausea, coughing, vomiting, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Physicians who treated the first cases of vaping-related lung illnesses initially thought that they were caused by viral or bacterial pneumonia. Once the CDC determined the pulmonary damage was of a chemical nature, investigators have been analyzing the contents of e-cigarettes to find the underlying substance that is causing the illnesses. E-cigarettes, which are devices that heat a liquid solution and deliver an aerosol to the user, contain fewer toxic substances than traditional cigarettes, but e-cigarettes can expose vapers to ultrafine particles, volatile compounds, heavy metals, and contaminants. When e-liquid is heated, its contents may go through “thermal degradation” and produce new, harmful compounds.
The FDA has been investigating more than 150 products, but no single ingredient, product, or device has been linked to all cases of vaping-related lung illnesses, and the exact cause remains unclear. Many of the cases are connected to products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, or vitamin E acetate, but not all patients reported using products containing these ingredients. The investigation is made more difficult by the fact that some patients, particularly teens, are hesitant to talk about the products or devices they use, especially those acquired illegally.
With the sudden surge of vaping-related illnesses, the risks of e-cigarettes have been made abundantly clear. Some question whether there are any benefits to e-cigarettes; for example, many are of the opinion that they can help those who are addicted to smoking or nicotine. However, there is limited evidence to support this, and it has not been proven that e-cigarettes are as effective as FDA-approved methods and medications, and they are certainly not as safe. For those who vape regularly, it is advisable to stop completely until the investigation has concluded and the cause behind the lung illnesses has been identified.
Many colleges are home to vapers, and the University of Georgia is no exception. Students should consider their motivation for and the consequences of vaping.
Photography By: Hannah Hall
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/09/10/sixth-person-dies-vaping-related-illness/
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/more-deaths-expected-vaping-lung-illnesses-cdc-says-n1056316
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/vaping-lung-injury-new-cases-530-bn/index.html