The e-cigarette industry has become increasingly popular over the last decade, particularly with younger adults and teenagers. Originally touted as a way to help people transition from traditional cigarettes to a safer alternative, we now know that using e-cigarettes and cape products can cause serious health problems as well.
This year, the e-cigarette industry has faced scrutiny after it was discovered that many people across the country have suffered from serious lung disease and even death due to vaping. If you or someone you know uses e-cigarettes or other vape products, there are some statistics you need to be aware of.
E-cigarettes and lung disease
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) added a page to their website to specifically track what many have called an e-cigarette lung disease epidemic. When many patients started showing up at hospitals around the country with various signs and symptoms, it took doctors a while to link the problems to vaping. The symptoms included:
- Breathing difficulty
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Fatigue
As of this writing, the CDC says that the number of people who have contracted e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) is up to 2,290. They confirm that there have been 47 EVALI deaths. The youngest patient to die from e-cigarette-related lung disease was 17 years of age.
Out of the confirmed EVALI cases, we know that the following was true:
- 95% were hospitalized, and 5% were not hospitalized.
- 68% were male
- 77% were under 35 years old
- The median age is 24 years and the age range is from 13 to 78 years
The problem has not been solved
Due to the alarming increase in the number of e-cigarette illnesses and deaths, the CDC and other government agencies deployed vast resources to figure out what substance in the e-cigarette was causing the problem.
Many of the EVALI victims had one thing in common – they smoked e-cigarette or vape products containing THC. Inside these products was vitamin E acetate, which is harmful to humans when inhaled.
The CDC and federal regulators are quick to warn people that, just because they have linked vitamin E acetate to many of the illnesses and deaths does not mean vape products without the substance are safe. On the contrary, the CDC has recommended that nobody use e-cigarette products at all.
Nobody knows the long-term effects that using e-cigarette or vape products have on our bodies. In reality, we do not know what is really inside vape liquid. These products have not been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for testing and approval. Despite not having approval, they are allowed to be sold in retail stores and online throughout the US.
If you are facing any injuries after smoking e-cigs or vaping, you may have a claim. Contact Ciccarelli Law Office’s Philadelphia personal injury attorneys to schedule your free case evaluation.
Younger e-cigarette users
One of the most alarming aspects of e-cigarette usage is its popularity with teenagers. The level of nicotine in e-cigarette and vape liquids is enough to hamper brain development in younger people. The FDA says that from 2017 to 2018, there was a 78% increase in e-cigarette usage among high school students. The CDC says that 81% of young e-cigarette users cited the availability of flavors as their main reason for using the products. These flavors, many argue, are meant to draw kids in and get them hooked on the products.