Should some vape flavors be banned?
Federal officials on Wednesday suggested they might move to ban the sale of some vape flavors, as several Americans have died over the past month from vaping-related ailments.
Flavored e-cigarettes are widely seen as marketed to young people, and public health experts worry that fruity vapors might be more appealing to teens, who could then get addicted to nicotine. In previous years, anti-smoking advocates won approval for bans of flavored cigarettes for just this reason.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has tallied 450 U.S. cases of serious lung illnesses related to vaping, including six deaths.
Doctors and nurses have seen these cases first hand.
Dr. Stephen Amesbury, a pulmonologist and critical care physician at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill., treated a patient, Adam Hergenreder, for one of those illnesses.
“If his mom had not brought him to the hospital within the next 2 to 3 days, his breathing could have worsened to the point that he could have died if didn’t seek medical care,” Dr. Amesbury told CNN on Wednesday.
Dr. Amesbury says it will require further study to figure out what exactly is causing the severe illnesses in these patients nationwide, and the long-term effects of the current batch of vaping-related lung ailments might not be known for a long time.
Unlike the science involved in figuring out what’s causing these illnesses, Dr. Amesbury’s advice for his patients is simple: Don’t vape.
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About the Author
Mike Riopell, health enews contributor, is a media relations coordinator with Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. He previously worked as a reporter and editor covering politics and government for the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald and Bloomington Pantagraph, among others. He enjoys bicycles, home repair, flannel shirts and being outside.
The cause of these deaths is from people using black market THC/CBD products that should not be vaped. Bans do not protect people, they simply push people to the black market, which is even more dangerous and unregulated. Products sold in true vape stores are safe and made with safe products. Articles like these are the reason the public is scared of vaping and trying to ban it. Vaping has helped so many people’s lives and help them quit smoking successfully. The real truth needs to be told instead of these false stories.
The only way I found for me to quit smoking after 47 years was using vaping at a very low dose of nicotine as a crutch. I bought branded vape products from reputable stores/websites. No issues and slowly weaning away from vaping. It really helped with the hand to mouth habit I had from smoking-an issue in my previous failed attempts to quit.
Advocate is as irresponsible in this reporting as the MSM.
Saying the deaths are from black market products are not necessarily true – but it IS true that fruity flavors were developed to market to youth. Vaping is a choice for adults to make, age restrictions and banning the sweet and fruity flavors is sound practice. According to the news today, the tobacco flavors of vapes are not proposed to be banned, so adult smokers can still use vaping as a tool to quit smoking. Now, after they quit smoking, how do we get them to quit vaping?
Black market products are a huge problem in the vaping world. To ignore it would be unwise. I’m not a fan of vaping or smoking, but I don’t have a problem with informed consent. A personal choice made by an adult overrules all concerns as long as knowledge and understanding about the product and the risks are made clear. Black market vaping products are in the news very frequently. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/09/black-market-thc-vape-operation-busted-in-wisconsin-police-say/
Too many variables, when it comes to vaping, to really determine the real issue why people have died. Can we do some research before we toss vaping altogether?
Many good comments here. However, regardless if companies are developing flavors to “target youth” isn’t the problem. It’s WHOSE selling these products to minors. Sorry, but adults like flavors too! The same could be said about flavored alcohol products, let’s just get rid of those while we’re at it. As said, it’s the black market THC cartridges that are killing people and the media fails to address that part, wanting you to believe that JUUL, etc. is the problem.
Since vaping is not essential and so many are getting seriously sick just ban it.
Ok. That comment that vaping is not “essential” so just ban it, is just ridiculous. While we are at it let’s ban more things that are not “essential”, like alcohol, cigarettes, fried foods, artificial sweeteners, the list goes on. These are not essential, yet people get sick from these everyday. Do you not recall the complete disaster of prohibition? We should be doing more research and data collecting. Not banning things. Let’s be more educated in our decisions to use anything that is not “essential”.
Very interesting article with a first hand account of the risks of vaping. I often discuss risks and benefits of options for patients. In Feb, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article looking at vaping vs FDA nicotine replacement. After one year, 18% of patients in the vape group vs 10% of the nicotine replacement group quit. So vaping looks like a good smoking cessation alternative, however 80% of the people in the vape group were still vaping nicotine while only 10% of the nicotine replacement group were still using nicotine. As a result 3% of the vape group and 9% of nicotine replacement group were nicotine free. So the benefit of vaping is mixed at best. The risk of vaping seems to effect a very small number but can be very serious. The pattern of who is at risk for serious problems from vaping is not well defined. So from a risk/benefit standpoint, I agree with Dr Amesbury’s recommendation not to vape.
Without more research, I do not see this ban taking place. Smoking and/or vaping are both dangerous but health care providers and the public need facts. How are those under the age of 21 getting these products? Currently over 11 MILLION American’s use vaping products and to base this proposed ban does not take into consideration the risks and benefits of vaping. Why has this research not happened sooner? Without research and facts, this is a useless ban. I can see how more people will use black market products.
I smoked for 30 years and could not stop smoking. I tried the Blu e-cig, and I was able to quit smoking tobacco and only vap. I buy directly from the company’s web site and I have had no problems in two years. I feel 100 times better now than when I smoked tobacco. I do not have a smoker”s cough anymore. I do not cough up all that mucus anymore. I am sure I would have developed lung cancer or another lung disease. .