FDA advises people not to use THC vapes, black market vaping products

[midian182]

Why it matters: With the number of vaping-related lung disease cases continuing to rise, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public to stop using THC vaping products, along with any vaping goods obtained off the streets or from unknown sources.

There have now been more than 1,000 reports of lung injuries identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll from the mystery illness stood at seven last month. Now, it has risen to 18 deaths across 15 states.

While the exact cause of the disease is still unknown, federal investigators have linked 78 percent of the cases to THC vaping devices, while just 17 percent of cases involved people using vapes that only contained nicotine. As reported by Gizmodo, recent lab tests showed toxic additives in black market vaping products, which is why the FDC advises also avoiding them.

The FDC also urged people not to modify or add substances, such as THC, to vaping products and recommends youths and pregnant women avoid vapes. It did add, however, that any adults who are using e-cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes shouldn’t return to smoking cigarettes.

“More information is needed to better understand whether there is a relationship between any specific products or substances and the reported illnesses,” the FDA writes. “To help gather and analyze as much information as possible, the FDA is working closely with federal and state partners to identify the products or substances that may be causing the illnesses.”

In California, popular e-cigarette manufacturer Juul is under criminal investigation, and the company has stopped all advertising. Meanwhile, a number of states have banned flavored vapes.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/82224-fda-advises-people-not-use-thc-vapes-black.html

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

How about just not inhaling anything that looks like smoke, unless having a working pair of lungs is just not your thing. Didn’t we already go through this like 30-40 years ago?

 

[p51d007]

That's like telling people not to take drugs you buy "off the street".
I've never understood the entire smoking thing anyway. I was lucky. In the early 70's, I was at the "start experimenting with being cool" stage. My older sister, a nursing student, came back one weekend with photos of a persons lungs after 30 years of smoking tobacco. THAT convinced me to never smoke.
My parents quit not long after that.
Inhaling smoke, be it water vapor or anything else cannot be healthy for the lungs. It's WATER vapor, lined with chemicals. That's a recipe for disaster. But, I'm sure the billion dollar vaping industry will stop at nothing, to ensure consumers it is "ok" as long as you buy from a trusted source.

 

[hahahanoobs]

"It did add, however, that any adults who are using e-cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes shouldn’t return to smoking cigarettes."

Just quit. -FDC

 

[Panda218]

Sounds like a good time to legalize and regulate THC cartridges.

 

[Uncle Al]

Smoking, Vaping, Huffing, and introduction of ANYTHING into the lungs other than medically prescribed and FDA approved materials should be made illegal for the protection of the user as well as those in close contact or who could otherwise be affected by the material.
We live in an age where consumers must depend upon "others" for a great many things just to get through every day. Driving cars, taking public transportation, consuming food & drink, wearing a wide variety of clothing, jewelry, etc. all are based upon products that someone else has produced. We put our trust in those individuals, vendors, companies, corporations and as such we should be protected against anyone and everyone that ignores that public trust.
There was a time when we had a Consumer Protection Agency that had broad reaching powers to take any of those that attempted to skirt or outright break the law to court and cause them significant loss of money, power and freedom. We need that again regardless of how big, powerful, or influential the person or company might be.

 

[MaXtor]

The truth is slowly coming out. Unfortunately their disregard for public health has led many to continue using THC oil cartridges, leading to more illnesses and more death (and scared many nicotine vapers back to smoking which will lead to even more death).

Please watch this youtube video showing what the media does when a victim says he vaped THC, not nicotine. Spoiler: They cut out the part about THC because it doesn't fit their narritive. #MSABloodMoney

 

[DukeJukem]

Guess im lucky because I've vaped at least 100 thc cartridges.

 

[pit1209]

Guess im lucky because I've vaped at least 100 thc cartridges.

This is a mistake that just needs to happen once, keep playing the numbers and let's see.

 

[Shake]

How about just not inhaling anything that looks like smoke, unless having a working pair of lungs is just not your thing. Didn’t we already go through this like 30-40 years ago?

Teens are not going to stop being teens. They are going to smoke. Better it to be vapes.
And adults that smoke cigarettes, not everyone can go cold turkey.
Vaping helps.
I agree, nothing in the lungs is the best route to go, in a perfect world.

 

[Shake]

Hopefully now the hysteria can die down

 

[candle_86]

Smoking, Vaping, Huffing, and introduction of ANYTHING into the lungs other than medically prescribed and FDA approved materials should be made illegal for the protection of the user as well as those in close contact or who could otherwise be affected by the material.
We live in an age where consumers must depend upon "others" for a great many things just to get through every day. Driving cars, taking public transportation, consuming food & drink, wearing a wide variety of clothing, jewelry, etc. all are based upon products that someone else has produced. We put our trust in those individuals, vendors, companies, corporations and as such we should be protected against anyone and everyone that ignores that public trust.
There was a time when we had a Consumer Protection Agency that had broad reaching powers to take any of those that attempted to skirt or outright break the law to court and cause them significant loss of money, power and freedom. We need that again regardless of how big, powerful, or influential the person or company might be.

It's called freedom, look how well prohibition worked or how the war in drugs is working. You can ban vaping in a workplace or other indoor public place or at public outdoor events which is already done, but if people want to vape or smoke in their home or in their car it's honestly none of your bussiness. I already pay a $50 monthly surcharge to my insurance because I vape.

If you want to make risky behavior illegal, I guess let's also out law sex without a license requiring a medical exam, let's outlaw driving a car, let's out law fried food, and the list goes on.

 

[MaXtor]

How about just not inhaling anything that looks like smoke, unless having a working pair of lungs is just not your thing. Didn’t we already go through this like 30-40 years ago?

57 years ago (1962) the Royal College of Physicians warned the world about the dangers of smoking. It took years for the FDA to do the same. Now the Royal College of Physicians says that vaping is the miracle solution for smokers who cannot quit. Their report concludes that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking. How long until the FDA will draw the same conclusion?

I suspect it'll be once the thousands of small businesses close up shop and big tobacco companies take over (JUUL, iQOS, etc). It's easier to regulate and tax a handful of corporate giants than thousands of small businesses.

 

[MaXtor]

Utah Department of Health report reveals 94% (34/36) of lung illness patients admitted to vaping THC. In the THC cartridges tested, 89% contained vitamin E acetate. "No unexpected compounds" were found in the nicotine products."

edit: Link to document: https://health.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Vaping-Report-for-Public-9-30-Final.pdf
edit2: Uploaded image to Imgur due to issue with Techspot hosted images.

 

[wiyosaya]

57 years ago (1962) the Royal College of Physicians warned the world about the dangers of smoking. It took years for the FDA to do the same. Now the Royal College of Physicians says that vaping is the miracle solution for smokers who cannot quit. Their report concludes that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking. How long until the FDA will draw the same conclusion?

I suspect it'll be once the thousands of small businesses close up shop and big tobacco companies take over (JUUL, iQOS, etc). It's easier to regulate and tax a handful of corporate giants than thousands of small businesses.

When you have studies out there that indicate that there are toxic metal vapors in the "smoke" from vape pipes and the levels of those same toxic metal vapors are beyond OSHA safe limits, never.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-09-metals-vapors-tank-style-electronic-cigarettes.html

In fact, a recent analysis by the Mayo Clinic specifically states that biopsies from the lungs of people suffering from the condition look as if they have been subject to toxic chemical exposure.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/919361

But what they hey! You guys are free to assume that the RCP is infallible.

EDIT:Correct link orientation.

 

[wiyosaya]

Utah Department of Health report reveals 94% (34/36) of lung illness patients admitted to vaping THC. In the THC cartridges tested, 89% contained vitamin E acetate. "No unexpected compounds" were found in the nicotine products."

View attachment 85543

Links?
The metals do not need to be in the "juice" when the juice is being heated by what amounts to a high-temperature wire.

 

[MaXtor]

When you have studies out there that indicate that there are toxic metal vapors in the "smoke" from vape pipes and the levels of those same toxic metal vapors are beyond OSHA safe limits, never.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/919361

Yes, another debunked "study."

The primary point made by Dr. Farsalinos in his rebuttal of this study is simply that the researchers failed to explain the context of these toxic substances, therefore making the results unnecessarily bombastic. He took to his Facebook page to answer the concerns of many vapers who asked him about the legitimacy of the toxic metals study. “The ‘significant amount’ of metals the authors reported they found were measured in ug/kg. In fact, they are so low that for some cases (chromium and lead) I calculated that you need to vape more than 100 ml per day in order to exceed the FDA limits for daily intake from inhalation medications.” He suggested that this happens because studies sometimes use concentration limits associated with constant intake, as opposed to just the breaths that include e-liquid vapor. According to Farsalinos, “humans take more than 17,000 breaths per day but only 400-600 puffs per day from an e-cigarette.” So when researchers calculations omit this fact, the results can appear drastically worse than they ought too.

Dr. Farsalinos Discredits “Toxic Metal” Study For Being Misleading - ChurnMag

Renowned tobacco control expert says that the recent study, which has been making the rounds, fails to explain the true meaning of findings Dr. Konstantino

www.churnmag.com

In fact, a recent analysis by the Mayo Clinic specifically states that biopsies from the lungs of people suffering from the condition look as if they have been subject to toxic chemical exposure.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-09-metals-vapors-tank-style-electronic-cigarettes.html

And here you're conflating THC oil vaping with regular nicotine vaping. Exactly what the media would have you believe. Nicotine vaping cannot cause lipoid pneumonia because ejuice is water soluble. Lipoid pneumonia is caused by inhaling oils.

The vaping industry has known not to use oil based ingredients for well over a decade. Nicotine vaping does not contain oils. Without breaking down into compounds, vaping consists of 4 ingredients: Propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavouring, and optionally nicotine. All 4 ingredients are water soluble. Ejuice is water soluble. Oils are not. Inhaling oils into your lungs is dangerous and can cause lipoid pneumonia. Nicotine vaping does not.

But what they hey! You guys are free to assume that the RCP is infallible.

And you're free to trust corporate backed anti-vaping studies and listen to corrupted politicians and media.

Learn about the Master Settlement Agreement if you think I'm talking about conspiracies, it's fact. Also watch the video I shared above if you don't think the media is lying to you.

Interesting fact, every single state which has proposed a vape ban are states losing the most money on their tobacco bonds.

Tobacco revenue has fallen more quickly than projected when the securities were created, leading to technical defaults in some states. Some analysts predict that many of the bonds will default entirely. Many of the longer-term bonds have been downgraded to junk ratings.[56] More recently, financial analysts began raising concerns that the rapid growth of the electronic cigarette market is accelerating the decline of $97 billion outstanding in tobacco bonds.[57][58][59] States with large populations, such as New York and California, are affected to a greater degree than others.[59] Lawmakers in several states proposed measures to tax e-cigarettes like traditional tobacco products to offset the decline in TMSA revenue. They anticipate that taxing or banning e-cigarettes would be beneficial to the sale of combustible cigarettes.[58]

Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

edit: Added link as wiyosaya is not a fan of Google.

 

[wiyosaya]

Yes, another debunked "study."

And again, you are posting photos instead of links. I hate to say this, but that makes your "rebuttal" specious.

And, you know what? The particular rebuttal that you posted happened Months before the Medscape article. Sorry, homey. You lose.

And in fact, the article appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine published on October 2, 2019

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1913069

 

[wiyosaya]

Yes, another debunked "study."

And here you're conflating THC oil vaping with regular nicotine vaping. Exactly what the media would have you believe. Nicotine vaping cannot cause lipoid pneumonia because ejuice is water soluble. Lipoid pneumonia is caused by inhaling oils

I am not conflating anything. This particular study was done by one of the US' leading lung experts from the Mayo Clinic.

Or should I be calling you Dr. Maxxtor?

 

[wiyosaya]

The truth is slowly coming out.

Is that truth or just what you want to hear?

 

[MaXtor]

should I be calling you Dr. Maxxtor?

Let's not go overboard, I'd be okay with: Common sense "Maxxtor"

 

[wiyosaya]

Let's not go overboard, I'd be okay with: Common sense "Maxxtor"

I thought it had a nice ring to it.

 

[MaXtor]

For those who think the FDA, CDC, or even the President are infallible, don't forget their recent history. Links included for wiyosaya.

Last year the CDC director Brenda Fitzgerald quit after it was found she bought Tobacco shares.

"Shows how oblivious this administration is to financial conflicts of interest," Painter wrote. "One of many examples at very high levels."

CDC director quits following report she bought tobacco shares

Brenda Fitzgerald's tenure as Trump's CDC chief went up in smoke following revelations she bought tobacco stock.

www.nbcnews.com

In 2016 the FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg was charged with conspiracy, racketeering & colluding.

While Defendant Hamburg was FDA Commissioner, her husband, Defendant Brown’s annual income, not coincidentally, increased from a reported $10 million in 2008 to an estimated $125 million in 2011 and an estimated $90 million in 2012, due in whole or in part to Defendants’ racketeering conspiracy to withhold information about the devastating, life threatening, and deadly effects of Levaquin.

Former FDA Commissioner Charged in RICO Lawsuit – Alliance for Human Research Protection

ahrp.org

As of 2016, Trump owned stock in the tobacco giant Altria (35% owner of JUUL).

Trump's filing shows that he owns between $500,001 and $1,000,000 worth of Altria (NYSE:MO) stock in his Oppenheimer brokerage account. Altria is the largest U.S. tobacco company and the manufacturer behind the iconic Marlboro brand.

3 Surprisingly Controversial Stocks in Donald Trump's Portfolio | The Motley Fool

Donald Trump's stock portfolio is filled with many household names, but these three stocks are more likely to draw jeers than cheers.

www.fool.com

JUUL is in favour of the flavour ban. This is because they know teenagers don't vape for the flavour, they vape for the nicotine buzz they get from JUUL's 50mg pods. Not to mention it will destroy their competition, small businesses.

 

[wiyosaya]

The original article about the content of the vapor (again, published well after the date of your rebuttal) was published in September 27, 2019 and is available as an open access article here - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50441-4

 

[wiyosaya]

For those who think the FDA, CDC, or even the President are infallible, don't forget their recent history. Links included for wiyosaya.

Last year the CDC director Brenda Fitzgerald quit after it was found she bought Tobacco shares.

CDC director quits following report she bought tobacco shares

Brenda Fitzgerald's tenure as Trump's CDC chief went up in smoke following revelations she bought tobacco stock.

www.nbcnews.com

In 2016 the FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg was charged with conspiracy, racketeering & colluding.

Former FDA Commissioner Charged in RICO Lawsuit – Alliance for Human Research Protection

ahrp.org

As of 2016, Trump owned stock in the tobacco giant Altria (35% owner of JUUL).

3 Surprisingly Controversial Stocks in Donald Trump's Portfolio | The Motley Fool

Donald Trump's stock portfolio is filled with many household names, but these three stocks are more likely to draw jeers than cheers.

www.fool.com

JUUL is in favour of the flavour ban. This is because they know teenagers don't vape for the flavour, they vape for the nicotine buzz they get from JUUL's 50mg pods. Not to mention it will destroy their competition, small businesses.

But the links to the studies I posted were not conducted by the CDC. The Mayo Clinic is not the CDC. And you can scroll to the bottom of the link in the most recent article that I linked to and also discover the affiliations of the authors - again, NOT the CDC.

You just don't give up, do you?