Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

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up front Saturday 7 September 2019

U.S. health officials report new vaping deaths, repeat warning

Continued from Front a person over 65 years with
a history of lung problems
Health officials have only who had vaped illicit THC
been counting certain products and died in Au-
lung illnesses in which the gust.
person had vaped within Recent attention has been
three months. Doctors say focused on devices, liquids,
the illnesses resemble an refill pods and cartridges
inhalation injury, with the that are not sold in stores.
body apparently react- New York state has focused
ing to a caustic substance its investigation on an ingre-
that someone breathed in. dient called Vitamin E ace-
Symptoms have included tate, which has been used
shortness of breath, fatigue, to thicken marijuana vape
chest pain and vomiting. juice but is considered
The illnesses have all sur- dangerous if heated and
faced this year, and the inhaled. State investigators
number has been growing have found the substance
quickly in the last month in 13 cartridges collected
as more states have be- from eight patients. In sev-
gun investigations. A week eral cases, the ingredient
ago, U.S. officials pegged made up more than half of
the number at 215 possible the liquid in the cartridge.
cases in 25 states. CDC officials said they are
It’s unclear whether such looking at several ingredi-
illnesses were happening ents, including Vitamin E
before this year. acetate. But Meaney-Del-
“We’re all wondering if this man added that no single
is new or just newly recog- factor has been seen in ev-
nized,” Dr. Dana Meaney- ery case.
Delman of the Centers Also Friday, the New Eng-
for Disease Control and land Journal of Medicine Barbara Ferrer, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health walks past a poster
Prevention told reporters released a series of articles reading: “Progress Erased: Flavored Tobacco and the e-cigarette epidemic among youth,” as the
Friday. An Illinois health of- that give medical details county announce the first known death associated with e-cigarette vaping at a news conference
ficial, Dr. Jennifer Layden, about cases reported in Il- in Los Angeles Friday, Sept. 6, 2019.
said officials there don’t linois, Wisconsin and Utah. Associated Press
know when such illnesses An article on 53 illnesses in this severe lung disease.” smokers who try vaping Adriane Casalotti said in a
first began, but she said Illinois and Wisconsin noted It’s not yet clear what im- end up quitting smoking statement.
there has been a marked that nearly one-fifth of the pact the recent illnesses long term. And they fear The states reporting vap-
increase since spring. cases were people who are having on vaping rates, that kids who might never ing-related lung illnesses
Deaths previously were said they vaped nicotine but some health officials have picked up cigarettes to the CDC are Arkansas,
reported in Illinois and Or- and not anything that con- are hoping more Ameri- are taking up vaping. California, Colorado, Con-
egon . tained THC or CBD oil. cans will become wary. The National Association necticut, Delaware, Flori-
Indiana officials said the For that reason, doctors There’s been a split among of County and City Health da, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois,
person who died there was and health officials are public health experts Officials “has long been Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,
an adult, but they didn’t continuing to suggest peo- about the value of vaping cautious about endorsing Louisiana, Maryland, Michi-
say when it happened or ple stay away from all vap- nicotine. Some argue e- e-cigarettes even before gan, Minnesota, Montana,
release other details. Health ing products until the inves- cigarettes are not as lethal the recent spate of illness- North Carolina, Nebraska,
officials in Los Angeles said tigation establishes exactly as conventional cigarettes es, because little scientific New Jersey, New Mexico,
they were investigating a what’s at the root of the and can be a valuable evidence exists to show New York, Ohio, Oregon,
vaping death as well. And illnesses. aide to smokers trying to that e-cigarettes and other Pennsylvania, South Caroli-
Minnesota health officials Meaney-Delman said kick the habit. nicotine delivery devices na, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
said that state’s first known avoiding vaping is “the pri- But others say studies have are effective cessation Virginia, Vermont, Wiscon-
vaping-related death was mary means of preventing not established that adult devices,” spokeswoman sin, and West Virginia.q