i haven't bought or smoked cigarettes since may. i'd be happier if there weren't so many vague news reports about people dying from vaping. really pretty scary to hear about people getting hospitalized and even dying because of vaping. it's even scarier when the news doesn't explain why.
ars technica (black market lung disease): "Those sickened often suffer gradual breathing difficulties, coughing, fatigue, chest pain, and weight loss, which leads to hospitalization. Some have also experienced vomiting and diarrhea." the ars article also cites a post over at inverse which points out about vape cartridge packaging: "It is absurdly easy to get your hands on a Dank Vapes branded box or cartridge which you can then fill with whatever you’d like."
more recently, cbs news reported that vitamin e acetate might be very dangerous when vaped. while not contesting that, ars technica's beth mole posted: "Officials have still not identified a cause of the illnesses and investigations are ongoing."
vomiting and diarrhea make it sound more like food poisoning. i've looked online for the actual extent that enterotoxins are "heat-stable". i haven't yet found anything credible online justifying being concerned that vaping causes pulmonary food poisoning. it is likely that certain flavorings or additives shouldn't be in vape liquids.
whatever caused the recently reported pulmonary traumas, there aren't any quality standards for vape juice.
various companies might practice quality control. organizations might set guidelines. that's not the same as a recognizable and provided level of quality. i'm not necessarily sure the fda should be in charge either. i smoked when they allowed sodium silicate in cigarettes for fire safety.
"Public health experts have not found any evidence of infectious diseases and believe the lung illnesses are likely associated with a chemical exposure."
"While the cases have not yet been linked to a specific product or ingredient, health officials have urged consumers to quit vaping altogether."
[article linked above found via opera mini]
"Specifically, nicotine seems to impact the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for critical skills and functions like memory, reward processing and logic."
finally there's some news about the cause of the lung damage. the mayo clinic (according to the new york times) stated: "The lung damage in some people who have become ill after vaping nicotine or marijuana products resembles a chemical burn, doctors from the Mayo Clinic reported on Wednesday." yet "Medical investigators have been unable to identify exactly what is causing the lung damage, or even how many harmful substances are involved."
"When doctors took a closer look at Steffen's lung scans, the images weren't typical of a lifelong smoker. They looked more like a person with an extreme lung injury, like that of a chemical burn."
possibly...
"- major popcorn manufacturers removed diacetyl from their products, but some people are still being exposed to diacetyl - not through food flavorings as a worksite hazard, but through e-cigarette vapor."
weird that this wasn't newsworthy enough to accompany the first reports about vaping related lung damage leading to multiple deaths.
i'm still quits. there's another additive possibly causing potentially fatal lung injuries.
"There are many suspects, but the US Centers for Disease Control’s “very strong culprit of concern” is a new cutting agent found in illicit THC vaporizer cartridges across the nation. Tocopheryl-acetate, also known as vitamin E oil, surged in popularity on the street market ahead of the lung injury outbreak last summer."
found the above story via the comment below. thanks scuttle22.
