As hundreds of e-cigarette users have developed serious lung disease in recent weeks in the United States (one death was even reported last week), health authorities are calling on citizens not to use ingredients purchased in the street and especially not cannabis.
The investigation continues. While 216 people have developed serious lung disease in recent weeks across 25 states in the United States, leading to death, the health authorities are on the alert. The patients all having in common to have vaped, they called on Friday, August 30, American citizens not to use ingredients bought on the street in their electronic cigarettes. And especially not cannabis.
“In many cases, patients acknowledged recent use of e-cigarette products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) during conversation or interviews with healthcare personnel,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains. diseases (CDC) in a press release. Vapers “should not modify e-cigarette products or add substances to them that are not intended by the manufacturer”, therefore warn the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, investigators have yet to identify any specific brand or product that caused the these hospitalizations. Patients suffer from coughing, shortness of breath, chest pains and in some cases vomiting and diarrhoea.
The creation of addiction among young people who have never smoked a classic cigarette
“Regardless of the ongoing investigation, e-cigarette products should not be used by youth, young adults, pregnant women and adults who do not currently use tobacco.”
In the United States, electronic cigarettes have been on the market since 2006. Until now, scientists have believed that they were less toxic than traditional cigarettes. However, recently a study identified chemicals in some Juul e-cigarette liquids, extremely popular with young Americans.
According to some researchers, these chemicals can be particularly irritating to the lungs and cause damage when inhaled. And if many experts still assure that electronic cigarettes are less harmful than traditional ones, we have seen in the United States the creation of addiction among young people who have never smoked tobacco.
French high school students increasingly addicted to vaping too
Indeed, in March 2019, the Centers for Disease Control published a new report highlighting the increase in e-cigarette use among young college students. Thus, in 2018, more than one in four high school students (27.1%) regularly consumed (20 days or more over a period of 30 days) one or more tobacco products (ie cigarettes, electronic cigarettes , pipe, cigar, etc.), which represents an increase of 38% compared to 2017. In detail, the use of electronic cigarettes increased by 78% between 2017 and 2018.
Worried, the health authorities ended up initiating a policy of firmness against the manufacturers to enforce the ban on sales to those under 18 or 21, depending on the state.
But the United States is not the only one concerned by the growing popularity of vaping among young people. According to an OFDT study published in June, in France, a little more than half of high school students have already tried electronic cigarettes (52.1%) compared to a third (35.1%) in 2015.
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