Vaping causes death: THE REAL TRUTH Trump ban on flavors

The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it would ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes, at a time when hundreds of people have been sickened by mysterious lung illnesses and teenage vaping continues to rise. Sitting in the Oval Office with the government’s top health officials, President Trump acknowledged that there was a vaping problem and said: “We can’t allow people to get sick. And we can’t have our kids be so affected.” Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, said that the Food and Drug Administration would outline a plan within the coming weeks for removing flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods from the market, excluding tobacco flavors. The ban would include mint and menthol, popular varieties that manufacturers have argued should not be considered flavors. The White House and the F.D.A. have faced mounting pressure from lawmakers, public health officials, parents and educators, who have grown alarmed by the popularity of vaping among teenagers but have felt powerless to keep e-cigarettes away from students and out of schools. This summer’s startling reports of vaping-related respiratory illnesses, which now near 500 cases in nearly three dozen states and have possible links to six deaths, have only amplified concerns and renewed calls for a total ban on the largely unregulated pipeline of e-cigarette and cannabis vaping products. Just last week, Michigan became the first state to prohibit the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York also called for a ban, and Massachusetts and California are considering similar measures. San Francisco approved an e-cigarette ban earlier this year, which Juul Labs, the dominant seller in the United States, is lobbying to reverse through a ballot initiative this November. Last year, the F.D.A. retreated from a threat to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes as the increased rates of teenage use took public health experts by surprise. Public outrage stoked by accusations that Juul Labs was deliberately targeting youths led the company to voluntarily stop shipping most flavored pods, like mango and cucumber, to thousands of retail locations around the country. Agency officials had hoped that making flavored products less accessible would reduce teenage use of the popular devices, but instead the latest figures show another increase in youth vaping, Mr. Azar said, after meeting with the president on Wednesday. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Electronic cigarettes – or e-cigarettes — are also called vapes, e-hookahs, vape pens, tank systems, mods, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Using an e-cigarette product is commonly called vaping. E-cigarettes work by heating a liquid to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs. The liquid can contain: nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoid (CBD) oils, and other substances and additives. THC is the psychoactive mind-altering compound of marijuana that produces the “high”. --------------------------------------- What we know There are 805* lung injury cases reported from 46 states and 1 U.S. territory. Twelve deaths have been confirmed in 10 states. CDC has received sex and age data on 771 patients. About 69% of patients are male. Nearly two thirds (62%) of patients are 18 to 34 years old; with 22% of patients between 18-21. 16% of patients are under 18 years. All reported patients have a history of e-cigarette product use or vaping. The latest findings from the investigation into lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, suggest products containing THC play a role in the outbreak. CDC has received data on substances used in e-cigarettes or vaping products in the 30 days prior to symptom onset among 514 patients. About 77% reported using THC-containing products; 36% reported exclusive use of THC-containing products. About 57% reported using nicotine-containing products; 16% reported exclusive use of nicotine-containing products. What we don’t know The specific chemical exposure(s) causing lung injuries associated with e-cigarette product use, or vaping, remains unknown at this time. No single product or substance has been linked to all lung injury cases. More information is needed to know whether one or more e-cigarette or vaping products, substances, or brand is responsible for the outbreak ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Physicians who have treated cases of vaping-related illness told MedPage Today that many patients reported vaping tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil, particularly from illicit sources. Focus on 'Pot' Oil No single substance or e-cigarette product has been consistently associated with the illness, but the CDC's recent Health Alert Network warning noted that "many patients have reported using e-cigarettes containing cannabinoid products such as THC or CBD [cannabidiol]."