L.A. County resident dies of lung illness, fifth U.S. death possibly tied to vaping

By Manas Mishra and Brendan O'Brien

 

FILE PHOTO: Vaping products are displayed for sale in a shop in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - A Los Angeles County resident has died from a lung illness possibly tied to vaping, bringing the total number of such U.S. deaths to five, health officials said on Friday.

 

Officials are warning against e-cigarette use as the exact cause of any link between vaping and the lung condition remains unknown.

 

The unidentified person was described as an older adult who had chronic underlying health conditions and was one of 12 cases of people in Los Angeles County experiencing severe and sudden lung disease after a history of vaping, said Muntu Davis, the heath officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

 

"Our recommendation ... is that if you don't have to vape, don't do it right now. There really is a lot of unknowns. There is a lot of information that needs to be gathered," he said during a news conference.

 

Deaths have also been confirmed in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Oregon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday. In addition, the agency is probing 450 cases of lung illness that may have been caused by e-cigarette use around the country.

 

The CDC said the total count of confirmed cases of illness linked to vaping remained at 215, the same as its update last month, but a number of other cases of lung illnesses remained under investigation.

 

Staff from health agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said they have not linked the illnesses to any specific e-cigarette product or any particular substance in the e-cigarettes.

 

The CDC said no evidence of infectious diseases has been identified and therefore the lung illnesses are likely associated with a chemical exposure.

 

"Something has to be done. There's not enough regulation. There's not enough action taken by our politicians," said Tim Johnson during a news conference in Illinois on Thursday after his daughter fell ill with a lung illness believed to have been caused by vaping. "We may have dodged a bullet with our daughter."

 

E-cigarettes are generally thought to be safer than traditional cigarettes, which kill up to half of all lifetime users, according to the World Health Organization. But the long-term health effects of vaping are largely unknown.

 

Juul, in which Altria Group Inc <MO.N> has an over 30% stake, is the dominant e-cigarette maker in the U.S. market.

 

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing 84% of 53 patients with lung illnesses in Illinois and Wisconsin reported using tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, in e-cigarettes.

 

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by David Gregorio and Chris Reese)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-07

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Can chain-smoke cigarettes for many years and you will likely get lung cancer at old age.

Yes, but now they asking us to believe vaping killing people already in just the short time its been around?

 

hmm im not buying it

Funny thing with all the latest bombardment of news of lung disease  and death never mention what they were vaping and what they were vaping is cannabis oil. Why not post the truth? Why adult vapers are not dying or getting lung disease ?

12 minutes ago, BestB said:

Funny thing with all the latest bombardment of news of lung disease  and death never mention what they were vaping and what they were vaping is cannabis oil. Why not post the truth? Why adult vapers are not dying or getting lung disease ?

"The New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing 84% of 53 patients with lung illnesses in Illinois and Wisconsin reported using tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, in e-cigarettes."

I don't believe getting all that stuff in your lungs is healthy.

A flame has been removed, keep this up and you will be removed as well

5 hours ago, BestB said:

Funny thing with all the latest bombardment of news of lung disease  and death never mention what they were vaping and what they were vaping is cannabis oil. Why not post the truth? Why adult vapers are not dying or getting lung disease ?

Articles I've been reading have a common theme though it's all under investigation still. Apparently certain cartridges (cannabis) have used vitamin e oil as a carrier for the thc and when heated deposits this oil as droplets in the lungs. Morons thought the vit e oil would be benign, for it's been used for years and they also loved it because it was cheap. IMO this has nothing to do with cannabis itself, these are counterfeit bootleg carts. And you were right earlier on when you wrote that this had nothing to do with nicotine vape units. Though I'm sure the industry will keep taking a hit till this is sorted and these greedy businessmen who poisoned so many for a bigger profit margin are tried and jailed.   

E-cigarettes are generally thought to be safer than traditional cigarettes

 

Yeah, and we all know what "thought" did. . .

 

Are we to conclude that addictive devices for potential heath hazards before being launched on an unsuspecting public as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes?

 

This would explain why we are only now learning vapers could be inhaling dangerous chemicals which can cause illness and even death.

 

Let's just hope the lessons being learned here will not be lost on those government's in the process of rolling out the trend new, but completey untried and untested, 5G systems.

 

Thousands of scientists and doctors warn the radiation could harm not only humans but all living things.

 

Whatever happened to the precautionary principle?

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by Krataiboy

4 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

E-cigarettes are generally thought to be safer than traditional cigarettes

 

Yeah, and we know what "thought" did. . .

 

Are we to conclude that addictive devices for potential heath hazards before being launched on an unsuspecting public as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes?

 

This would explain why we are only now learning vape vapour containing dangerous chemicals suspected of causing deaths and illness from vaping?

 

Let's just hope the lessons being learned here will not be lost on those government's in the process of rolling out the trend new, but completey untried and untested, 5G systems.

 

Thousands of scientists and doctors warn the radiation could harm not only humans but all living things.

 

Whatever happened to the precautionary principle?

Rubbish, over 10 years nothing happened then a bunch of us kids use thc cartridges with vitamin E acetat from blackmarkets ...

Vaping is very well researched, if you don't want to take your time and educate yourself you should stop talking about it.

None of this stuff has anything to do with vaping ecigaretts, regular ecigs don't even work with thc oil.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/counterfeit-thc-vapes-cdc-vaping-health-alert-875931/?fbclid=IwAR13_T_vzyNY-BfUixrhpCGT6bT4Cs0iJlc_spXf053r5xclOe_a3NyHJis

 

These kids are all Cannabis junkies, and they used counterfeit blackmarket stuff with vitamin e acetat, and that why they are dying. 

That's what you get from the stupid war on drugs, people buy stuff from blackmarkets and die. Just legalize itttt.

 

Quote

The doctors were baffled as to how a healthy 18-year-old could become so sick, until the patient’s mother showed up at the hospital with something she’d dug up from her son’s wastebasket. It was a vaporizer cartridge with the label TKO Extracts, a licensed company based in California that sells THC products;  the cartridge was later confirmed to be a counterfeit version of the company’s product

 

 

This revelation is vindicating for those like the admin behind DankbustersOfficial, an Instagram account warning cannabis users against purchasing black-market THC cartridges. The admin, who asked to remain anonymous, tells Rolling Stone that while bootleg THC cartridges have been widely prevalent since cartridges were introduced to the market a little more than a decade ago, they’ve become much more common as the market has exploded in recent years, with vendors advertising counterfeit and bootleg products on Snapchat and Instagram. “People have been told by their connects that this stuff is clean and safe, so I have to rewrite an entire narrative in their minds,” the admin says. Some of the products from brands like Mario Carts are wholly unregulated and sold by black-market dealers who buy empty packaging, then fill the pens themselves and sell them for cheap.

 

7 hours ago, BestB said:

Why not post the truth? Why adult vapers are not dying or getting lung disease ?

This post is specifically about an adult vaper.

 

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The unidentified person was described as an older adult who had chronic underlying health conditions and was one of 12 cases of people in Los Angeles County experiencing severe and sudden lung disease after a history of vaping,

 

3 minutes ago, jany123 said:

This post is specifically about an adult vaper.

 

 

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0907/1074451-5th-person-dies-from-lung-illness-possibly-by-vaping/

 

Quote

Yesterday, local health authorities in California and Minnesota announced the vaping-related deaths of two individuals, both older and in relatively poor health, at least one of whom had used products containing THC, the principal psychoactive compound in cannabis.

...

New York's health department said laboratory test results showed very high levels of vitamin E oil in cannabis cartridges used by all 34 people in the state who had fallen ill after using e-cigarettes, and as a result was focusing its investigation in that direction.

 

For now, the outbreak appears to be confined to the United States, despite vaping's growing global popularity.

 

 

Can it be more obvious? 

7 hours ago, tingtongtourist said:

Can chain-smoke cigarettes for many years and you will likely get lung cancer at old age.

Yes, but now they asking us to believe vaping killing people already in just the short time its been around?

 

hmm im not buying it

But if true, then the problem takes on monumental proportions... so many effected so quickly, what will the future hold?

 

surely restricting e cig use whilst awaiting more conclusive research is warranted... as a precaution.

1 minute ago, jany123 said:

But if true, then the problem takes on monumental proportions... so many effected so quickly, what will the future hold?

 

surely restricting e cig use whilst awaiting more conclusive research is warranted... as a precaution.

 

10 years of vaping, all over the world, so many, so quickly? Not a single reported case until a bunch of US cannabis junkies buy blackmarket <deleted>.

 

Oh yeah, lets forbid it and kill 8 mio smokers each year with cigaretts instead. 

 

Thai logic?

Cigarettes kill. Alcohol kills. Both are sold freely. Nothing goes into my lungs except air and water is my beverage in lieu of alcohol. Choice.

Just now, ThomasThBKK said:

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0907/1074451-5th-person-dies-from-lung-illness-possibly-by-vaping/

 

 

 

Can it be more obvious? 

I replied to another who was claiming that adult smokers weren’t being reported as dying from vaping... on this thread... on a thread about a man possibly dying of vaping.

 

could that be clearer?

 

But anyway.... once again... I have already given you a link of e cig use poising vapers with formaldehyde.... there is more to it than thc or counterfeit products, and for every link you provide, I can probably provide two to counter it.

 

simple solution... suspend general use until a case study of many (say min 10) years can be completed... or... bury your head in the sand.

4 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

10 years of vaping, all over the world, so many, so quickly? Not a single reported case until a bunch of US cannabis junkies buy blackmarket <deleted>.

 

Oh yeah, lets forbid it and kill 8 mio smokers each year with cigaretts instead. 

 

Thai logic?

No dude.... your cherry picking reports... again, I have demonstrated this....  let existing smokers use it to assist quitting the cigs... do not allow non smokers to purchase... control the drug vs allow open use. 

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with Thai logic.... it’s logic that’s almost universally accepted... check US surgeon generals comments to that of the surgeon general (or equivalent) of any nation.

 

your logic is what’s in question, not Thai logic.

14 minutes ago, jany123 said:

I replied to another who was claiming that adult smokers weren’t being reported as dying from vaping... on this thread... on a thread about a man possibly dying of vaping.

 

could that be clearer?

 

But anyway.... once again... I have already given you a link of e cig use poising vapers with formaldehyde.... there is more to it than thc or counterfeit products, and for every link you provide, I can probably provide two to counter it.

 

simple solution... suspend general use until a case study of many (say min 10) years can be completed... or... bury your head in the sand.

 

lol we have studies older than 10 years, reaching back till the 50s of all ingredients used in regular vape juice.

There's no formaldehyde in ecigarette vapor, a fake study debunked many times, from a known fraudster a la stanton glantz: https://www.clivebates.com/spreading-fear-and-confusion-with-misleading-formaldehyde-studies/

 

Quote

This experiment, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, operated the vaping device at a such a high temperature that it produced thermal breakdown products (so-called dry puff conditions), but no user would ever be able to use it this way – the vapour would be too acrid.  They went on to calculate human cancer risk from these unrealistic machine measurements and presented the data in way that was bound to mislead, which it duly did and created a world-wide media storm. 

 

Maybe you should bury your head in sand and shut up, meanwhile millions of smokers are dying each year for no reason except TAXES.

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by ThomasThBKK

18 minutes ago, jany123 said:

But if true, then the problem takes on monumental proportions... so many effected so quickly, what will the future hold?

 

surely restricting e cig use whilst awaiting more conclusive research is warranted... as a precaution.

I guess but surely they could use science to get the answer/evidence..if they really wanted to?

Or could be, they dont present scientific proof becos there is none?

 

People in other countries smoke the hookah pipe many hours and very often and it doesnt seem to have any such scare factor.

 

I think money, power, and big companies not wanting to share a market.

 

I am skeptical thinking, since when they ever worried about the peoples health before money?

6 minutes ago, jany123 said:

No dude.... your cherry picking reports... again, I have demonstrated this....  let existing smokers use it to assist quitting the cigs... do not allow non smokers to purchase... control the drug vs allow open use. 

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with Thai logic.... it’s logic that’s almost universally accepted... check US surgeon generals comments to that of the surgeon general (or equivalent) of any nation.

 

your logic is what’s in question, not Thai logic.

 

Rubbish, as everything you write.

 

Quote

do not allow non smokers to purchase

 

Oh but let them buy more dangerous cigarettes? Thai logic. 

 

Quote

Nothing whatsoever to do with Thai logic.... it’s logic that’s almost universally accepted... check US surgeon generals comments to that of the surgeon general (or equivalent) of any nation.

 

Rubbish, the US is just an extremely corrupt - or how they call it lobbyist - country: https://www.city-journal.org/html/corruption-public-health-15323.html

 

Other surgeons are supporting it worldwide, like in canada, a less corrupt nation: 

 

but really! how much History can there really be, with e-cig vaping? 

 -  longtime vapers had no doubt already earlier been doing Water Pipes and the likes...

1 hour ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Rubbish, over 10 years nothing happened then a bunch of us kids use thc cartridges with vitamin E acetat from blackmarkets ...

Vaping is very well researched, if you don't want to take your time and educate yourself you should stop talking about it.

None of this stuff has anything to do with vaping ecigaretts, regular ecigs don't even work with thc oil.

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/counterfeit-thc-vapes-cdc-vaping-health-alert-875931/?fbclid=IwAR13_T_vzyNY-BfUixrhpCGT6bT4Cs0iJlc_spXf053r5xclOe_a3NyHJis

 

These kids are all Cannabis junkies, and they used counterfeit blackmarket stuff with vitamin e acetat, and that why they are dying. 

That's what you get from the stupid war on drugs, people buy stuff from blackmarkets and die. Just legalize itttt.

 

 

The Rolling Stone article makes no mention of advance safety testing by the vaping industry, which was my concern. Do you have a source? I'm sure vapers (of which I am not one) would find this reassuring.

 

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a one of two quotes I came across which appear to question wisdom of regarding even "legal" vaping as necessarily harmless.

 

"E-cigarettes cause their own problems" - Dr. Raj Dasgupta, in the Rolling Stone story you kindly referenced.

 

"Is vaping safer than smoking? The answer is, unfortunately, unclear. . . Public health experts in the U.S. is divided over the potential benefits and risks of e-cigs, and conclusive scientific evidence is scarce". -   

https://vapingdaily.com/what-is-vaping/

 

Researchers do know that e-cigarette aerosol contains toxic chemicals like those found in glue and paint. What’s less clear is if the amounts are high enough to cause diseases like cancer. - MD Anderson Centre, University of Texas.

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/is-vaping-safe-.h19-1592202.html

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by Krataiboy

51 minutes ago, Benmart said:

Cigarettes kill. Alcohol kills. Both are sold freely. Nothing goes into my lungs except air and water is my beverage in lieu of alcohol. Choice.

You should join a 10 step help program....It helps non drink and non smoker slowly adjust to a life of drinking and smoking in 10 easy steps....

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

E-cigarettes are generally thought to be safer than traditional cigarettes

 

Yeah, and we all know what "thought" did. . .

 

Are we to conclude that addictive devices for potential heath hazards before being launched on an unsuspecting public as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes?

 

This would explain why we are only now learning vapers could be inhaling dangerous chemicals which can cause illness and even death.

 

Let's just hope the lessons being learned here will not be lost on those government's in the process of rolling out the trend new, but completey untried and untested, 5G systems.

 

Thousands of scientists and doctors warn the radiation could harm not only humans but all living things.

 

Whatever happened to the precautionary principle?

Sorry, obviously getting senile. The paragrah starting "Are we to conclude" should have read: 

 

Are we to conclude that these addictive devices were not tested for potential health hazards, etc, etc.

 

 

43 minutes ago, jany123 said:

No dude.... your cherry picking reports... again, I have demonstrated this....  let existing smokers use it to assist quitting the cigs... do not allow non smokers to purchase... control the drug vs allow open use. 

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with Thai logic.... it’s logic that’s almost universally accepted... check US surgeon generals comments to that of the surgeon general (or equivalent) of any nation.

 

your logic is what’s in question, not Thai logic.

Sorry but your 'logic' is totally flawed. How can authorities anywhere determine whether a non-smoker or a smoker is purchasing a vaping device or supply?

 

I am a smoker who has never vaped - why?

Because an alternative to cigarettes is not legally available in Thailand (vaping was virtually unknown before I came here). The reason it's not available is because some officials here exaggerate any news however faintly related to vaping and are quite likely in the pocket of the Thai Tobacco Monipoly.

 

The articles in the Op and other related ones are scaremongering without any scientific proof with the well-worn 'maybe' 'possibly' 'could be' prefixes.

47 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

lol we have studies older than 10 years, reaching back till the 50s of all ingredients used in regular vape juice.

There's no formaldehyde in ecigarette vapor, a fake study debunked many times, from a known fraudster a la stanton glantz: https://www.clivebates.com/spreading-fear-and-confusion-with-misleading-formaldehyde-studies/

 

 

Maybe you should bury your head in sand and shut up, meanwhile millions of smokers are dying each year for no reason except TAXES.

Yer right.... and here is the information on the retesting after the issue of power setting was taken into account... your rubbish from e cig advocates ( your link... e cig advocates) conclusions have been debunked... worse actually... have a gander

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321928.php

“Three years ago, researchers at Portland State University in Oregon conducted a study that found previously unknown forms of formaldehyde in the vapor of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

Following criticism of their work, the researchers revisited their investigation. Their findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

This time, they concluded that the risk posed by the formaldehyde content of e-cigarettes is, in fact, greater than they had originally believed.”

 

I said I’d give you two for one links... here’s the second one. That said, I’m going to renege on that concept as your obviously not interested, so I’ll limit myself to simply substantiating my own claims... sorry to let y’all down

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-scary-facts-about-formaldehyde-in-cigarette-smoke-2824724

 

perhaps you might consider looking at both sides of the story to educate yourself beyond your bias.

3 minutes ago, khunken said:

Sorry but your 'logic' is totally flawed. How can authorities anywhere determine whether a non-smoker or a smoker is purchasing a vaping device or supply?

 

I am a smoker who has never vaped - why?

Because an alternative to cigarettes is not legally available in Thailand (vaping was virtually unknown before I came here). The reason it's not available is because some officials here exaggerate any news however faintly related to vaping and are quite likely in the pocket of the Thai Tobacco Monipoly.

 

The articles in the Op and other related ones are scaremongering without any scientific proof with the well-worn 'maybe' 'possibly' 'could be' prefixes.

Do you always follow the law? Because I can tell you thai vaping community is huge and getting bigger by the day. Some Thai vape groups have over half a million members, already have Thai made ejuice brands as well

3 minutes ago, khunken said:

Sorry but your 'logic' is totally flawed. How can authorities anywhere determine whether a non-smoker or a smoker is purchasing a vaping device or supply?

 

I am a smoker who has never vaped - why?

Because an alternative to cigarettes is not legally available in Thailand (vaping was virtually unknown before I came here). The reason it's not available is because some officials here exaggerate any news however faintly related to vaping and are quite likely in the pocket of the Thai Tobacco Monipoly.

 

The articles in the Op and other related ones are scaremongering without any scientific proof with the well-worn 'maybe' 'possibly' 'could be' prefixes.

Authorities can regulate the purchase of alcohol. It’s no where near perfect, but it’s a start.

 

Example... purchase of items require a medical release/ doctors approval ... there ya go... regulated.... more clarification needed, but it’s a (basic) starting point.

3 minutes ago, jany123 said:

Authorities can regulate the purchase of alcohol. It’s no where near perfect, but it’s a start.

 

Example... purchase of items require a medical release/ doctors approval ... there ya go... regulated.... more clarification needed, but it’s a (basic) starting point.

555555555555555555

 

Thats a joke. The regulation for purchasing alcohol is much the same as cigarettes and IMO should be the same for vaping products (age related). The start would be to allow vaping as a smoking alternative.

10 minutes ago, BestB said:

Do you always follow the law? Because I can tell you thai vaping community is huge and getting bigger by the day. Some Thai vape groups have over half a million members, already have Thai made ejuice brands as well

Well I mostly follow the law (but not adverse to a small bribe to grease the wheels at times). But as the RTP are always on the lookout for ways to extort money from Farangs, I haven't had the courage to get into vaping.

4 minutes ago, khunken said:

Well I mostly follow the law (but not adverse to a small bribe to grease the wheels at times). But as the RTP are always on the lookout for ways to extort money from Farangs, I haven't had the courage to get into vaping.

Vaping at home is no problem . It is only when you walk around and vape in public . Actual law does not prohibit vaping , but prohibits sales or import of equipment . This is why when people are taken to court because they had a vaping mod is only 500-600 baht . 

 

Yes you should of course be discreet but as I said , vaping at home is fine.

 

my health is more important than silly law