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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 6 September 2019

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Oregon death is 2nd linked to vaping, 1st tied to pot shop

By GILLIAN FLACCUS the brand of the product or In general, all marijuana
Associated Press the dispensary during the intended for sale at a le-
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — investigation and said it’s gal dispensary is tested for
Public health officials in the only case of vaping-re- pesticides and potency, as
Oregon said Wednesday lated illness or death in Or- well as for solvents, if the
that a person who recently egon that authorities know product is not dried mari-
died of a severe respiratory about. juana flower.
illness had used an elec- “Our investigation has not U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Or-
tronic cigarette contain- yielded exactly what it is in egon said he will introduce
ing marijuana oil from a this product,” Thomas said. legislation next week that
legal dispensary, the sec- “At this point, some of the would tax e-cigarettes in
ond death linked to vap- other states have more the same way as tradition-
ing nationwide and the first data than us.” al cigarettes to reduce the
tied to a vaping product As of last week, 215 pos- appeal to teenagers who
bought at a pot shop. sible cases of severe lung are increasingly taking up
Officials have not deter- disease associated with the popular smoking alter-
mined what sickened the the use of e-cigarettes had native.
middle-aged adult, wheth- been reported by 25 states, “The products are highly
er the product was con- according to the federal addictive. They’re subject
taminated or whether they Centers for Disease Control In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, a man exhales while smoking an to minimal safety standards
may have added some- and Prevention. The bat- e-cigarette in Portland, Maine. and oversights, exposing
thing to the liquid in the tery-powered vaping de- Associated Press users to dangerous chemi-
device after buying it, said vices can be used to inhale Illinois officials on Friday re- New York officials are focus- cals ... and they are get-
Dr. Ann Thomas with the Or- a flavored nicotine solution ported what they consider ing their investigation on an ting into the hands of more
egon Health Authority. or a solution infused with the first death in the na- additive used in black-mar- and more young people,”
Thomas declined to name marijuana oil. tion linked to vaping after ket vape oils made from Wyden said.
the person contracted a vitamin E. A state health The American Vaping Asso-
serious lung disease. They department spokeswoman ciation said in a statement
didn’t say if the e-cigarette said a lab has found “high that vaping products are
contained marijuana oil or levels” of vitamin E acetate “far less harmful than smok-
just nicotine. in “nearly all” the marijua- ing” and have helped peo-
Health officials in some na samples involved. ple break their addiction to
states have said a number Officials cautioned, how- traditional cigarettes.
of people who got sick had ever, that there have been “Making vaping products
vaped products containing respiratory illnesses diag- more expensive has not
THC, the compound that nosed where the vaping been shown to reduce ex-
gives marijuana its high. product did not contain perimentation by youth
That’s a critical distinction marijuana. and will only lead to more
in the Oregon case, ac- “It’s kind of scary and it’s adults continuing to smoke
cording to the American hard to believe that any deadly combustible ciga-
Vaping Association, which vaping is really safe at this rettes,” association presi-
has blamed the recent point,” said Thomas, the Or- dent Gregory Conley said
spate of lung illnesses on il- egon doctor. in an email.
legal vape pens that con- In Oregon, where mari- Health experts say nicotine
tain THC. juana is broadly legal for is harmful to developing
Wisconsin public health of- adults 21 and older, dispen- brains. Researchers worry
ficials said late last month saries can’t sell products that addicted teens will
that 89% of the people they that have not been tested eventually switch from vap-
interviewed who became by state-accredited labs. ing to smoking.
sick reported using e-ciga- Mark Pettinger, spokes- Most experts agree the
rettes or other vaping de- man for the Oregon Liquor aerosol in e-cigarettes is
vices to inhale THC. Control Commission, which less harmful than traditional
In New York state, 32 cases oversees Oregon’s legal cigarette smoke because
of vaping-related illness marijuana industry, said the it does not contain most
have been reported, with investigation was in its ear- of the cancer-causing
a “vast majority” involv- ly stages, but if it turns out byproducts of burning to-
ing people who vape illicit the THC oil was implicated, bacco. But there is virtually
marijuana. None has in- his agency can track the no research on the long-
volved medical marijuana product back to its origin term effects of the vaping
products sold in compli- and review all the testing chemicals, some of which
ance with state law. results. are toxic.q