Nearly 100 People Have Reported Lung Diseases That May Be Linked to Vaping, and the CDC Is Getting Involved

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing number of “severe” lung disease cases that appear to be related to vaping. Since late June, according to the CDC, 94 people in 14 states have come down with serious lung illnesses that may be linked to use of e-cigarettes, which heat substances including nicotine and cannabis to create aerosols that users inhale. The case count has grown high enough to prompt the CDC to work with state health departments to learn more about what could be causing the worrisome conditions, which are primarily affecting adolescents. Although “more information is needed to determine what is causing the illnesses,” according to the CDC, vaping appears to be a common thread across states involved in the investigation, including Illinois, California, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where nearly a third of reported cases have originated. Wisconsin state health officials say both pediatric and adult patients are exhibiting symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough and weight loss. Many patients reported vaping in the weeks or months before hospitalization, according to the state health department. It’s unclear which e-cigarette products they had used, and they may have consumed substances including nicotine, THC and/or synthetic cannabinoids (a category that includes the drug K2), according to health officials. A CDC representative did not immediately respond to TIME...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized onetime public health Source Type: news