What You Need to Know About the Vaping Crisis

If you vape, you should stop. That’s the advice from national and local health experts in the wake of numerous vaping related injuries and deaths that are sweeping the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 2,172 lung injuries and 42 deaths related to vaping, as of November 13, 2019. Injuries have occurred in every state (except for Alaska) and in the District of Columbia. Two of the people who died are from Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Maryland has seen 49 injuries associated with vaping, as of November 12.

What the CDC Recommends Regarding Vaping

All of these patients were otherwise healthy individuals who used vaping or e-cigarette products, which are battery-powered devices that look like pens or flash drives and heat liquids containing nicotine, marijuana or other substances. Health officials recently identified a substance called vitamin E acetate that they believe is the likely culprit of these lung injuries. Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive in the production of vaping products. The CDC is continuing to investigate other chemicals that could be contributing to vaping related injuries. There may be more than one cause associated with this outbreak. Since this investigation is ongoing, the CDC recommends that people refrain from using all vaping or e-cigarette products. Here’s what else the CDC recommends:

• • Do not use vaping or e-cigarette products that contain THC. The CDC’s findings suggest that THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, plays a major role in the outbreak.
  • Do not buy any type of vaping or e-cigarette products off the streets, particularly those containing THC.
  • Do not modify or add any substances to vaping or e-cigarette products that are not intended by the manufacturer, including products purchased through retail establishments.

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Smoking Cessation Resources: Join Holy Cross Health's Free 7-week clinic, Freedom from Smoking Call 1-800-Quit-Now to be connected to your state's quitline. See if you qualify for free early lung screening at Holy Cross Health

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What Are the Symptoms of Vaping Related Injuries?

Symptoms of vaping-related illnesses usually begin weeks or months after patients report vaping. Respiratory symptoms reported include:

• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• pain on breathing
• wheezing
• coughing
• coughing up blood

Patients also have reported other symptoms not related to their breathing. These include fever, chills, nausea, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, the patients’ health deteriorates to the point that they need to be hospitalized. Some people affected experience a life-threatening condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome that requires them to be put on respirators to help them breathe.

Why Are Young People Especially at Risk?

According to the CDC, the median age of patients who have suffered from vaping related injuries is 24 years old. About 70 percent of patients are male. Kimberley McBride, Vice President of Community Health at Holy Cross Health, says the novelty of vaping makes it appealing to young people. “It’s something new, and it’s trendy,” she says. “Laws that apply to cigarettes don’t apply to vaping yet, so vaping products are easier to get. And they’re easier to hide. They don’t smell like cigarettes.” Vaping products also come in flavors like strawberry watermelon and lemon twist, which adds to their appeal with young people. In September, the Trump administration announced it was planning to ban flavored vaping products. Trinity Health, Holy Cross Health’s parent organization, along with more than 50 other health and advocacy groups, sent a letter urging the administration to implement its plan. Trinity Health is a big proponent of discouraging young people from smoking, including vaping, McBride says. The organization supports Tobacco-21, a national campaign aimed at raising states’ minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21. Tobacco-21 includes vaping. McBride says that Holy Cross Health supports a number of local initiatives, too. Montgomery County council members Gabe Albornoz and Craig Rice have announced legislation that would ban the sale of flavored vaping products and ban vape shops located within a half-mile of a middle or high school. Holy Cross Health supports both those laws. You can sign up to receive email updates on this legislation on the Council’s website. For parents, McBride encourages role-modeling. “If you’re a parent who doesn’t smoke, your child is less likely to smoke,” she says. “Talk to them and keep communication open.”

What You Should Do

If you or a loved one who vapes starts to experience any of the symptoms described above, seek medical attention immediately. Don’t wait. It could be a life-threatening situation. When you quit vaping, don’t pick up or return to smoking cigarettes. Join Holy Cross Health and the American Lung Association for a free 7-week Freedom from Smoking Group clinic to learn systematic approaches to quitting smoking. You may also call the national Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, to be connected to your state's quitline. Trained professionals are available 24 hours every day to help you. If you are a current smoker or you quit within the past 15 years, a low-dose CT scan takes less than one minute and can help identify signs of lung cancer at an early stage—when it is most treatable. To learn more about Holy Cross Health’s lung cancer screening options—including the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) research study—and to find out if you qualify, call our nurse navigator at 855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673) or visit HolyCrossHealth.org/early-lung-screening

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Holy Cross Health presents the information in this blog as a resource for our community. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice or to endorse any particular entity or service. Personal health problems should be brought to the attention of the appropriate health professionals.