By NewsDesk @bactiman63
Vaping lung injury
In an update on the outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that the case tally is now 1,604 cases have been reported to CDC from 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia, and 1 U.S. territory.
In addition, thirty-four deaths have been confirmed in 24 states.
All e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
THC is present in most of the samples tested by FDA to date, and most patients report a history of using THC-containing products.
The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak.
At this time, FDA and CDC have not identified the cause or causes of the lung injuries in these cases, and the only commonality among all cases is that patients report the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
No one compound or ingredient has emerged as the cause of these illnesses to date; and it may be that there is more than one cause of this outbreak. Many different substances and product sources are still under investigation. The specific chemical exposure(s) causing lung injuries associated with e-cigarette product use, or vaping, remains unknown at this time
E-cigarette Flavors Decrease Perception of Harm Among Youth
As more and more youth use electronic cigarettes, combined with research showing the health consequences of vaping – including nicotine addiction – researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill found that non-menthol flavors attract youth and adults to use e-cigarettes and that the use of flavored e-cigarettes contributes to multiple pathways linked to higher e-cigarette use among youth.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal Open, is a systematic review of all peer-reviewed scientific literature published on e-cigarette use behaviors and perceptions through March of 2018. The researchers reviewed 51 articles, including 17 published before 2016 and 34 published between 2016 and 2018.
Read more at UNC-Chapel Hill
