Vaping-related lung disease cases reach 530 as FDA opens criminal investigation

[midian182]

Why it matters: The vaping-related lung disease outbreak in the US has risen to 530 confirmed and probable cases as the number of deaths reaches seven. With the spread showing no signs of abating, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opened a criminal investigation into the illnesses.

Earlier this month, it was reported that four Americans had lost their lives to the mysterious lung disease caused by vaping. It had been suspected that a particular type of chemical, possibly vitamin E acetate, was to blame, though it’s also possible that substances extracted from marijuana or hemp, including THC, could be creating dangerous new toxins when combined with vape-liquid chemicals. But no single substance or compound has been linked to all of the cases so far.

Not long after reports of the disease arrived, the Trump administration announced that the FDA would require vape companies to stop selling flavored vape products until they get regulatory approval. But more incidents of the illness are being discovered—the number of cases has jumped by 50 in just one week.

The FDA says its criminal investigations arm is now exploring the supply chain of vaping products to identify the cause of the outbreak. Mitch Zeller, the director of the Center for Tobacco Products for the FDA, said investigators will not be pursuing any individuals or companies and are not focused on prosecuting anyone at this time.

The backlash against vaping products isn’t only being felt in the US. India has banned the sale, import, advertising, and production of e-cigarettes, while Chinese retailers have stopped selling Juul products.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/81987-vaping-related-lung-disease-cases-reach-530-fda.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

#1 There are actually some "scientists" out there that don't "believe" that cigarettes cause lung cancer and emphysema. They are demonstrably wrong.


#2 A lot of these vape products are bootlegged in China, shipped here and weren't safe to begin with. The entire history of vaping has been wrought with exploding Chinese-made lithium ion batteries, unit failures and physical burns. Now the actually chemicals are making people sick. This isn't a matter of conjecture. This is real.

In the last vape-related article, there were so many proponents of vaping and I'm sure there will be now.

 

[gamerk2]

In the last vape-related article, there were so many proponents of vaping and I'm sure there will be now.

Of course there will be; why should government prevent people from literally killing themselves? Nevermind the healthcare costs the rest of us have to absorb...

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Of course there will be; why should government prevent people from literally killing themselves? Nevermind the healthcare costs the rest of us have to absorb...

Exactly...and that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand. The government's job is to identify threats to the public and isolate/neutralize them.

Cigarettes
Assault weapons.
Bootlegged alcohol.
Bootlegged drugs

The vapers out there won't like it, but this is a public health epidemic and their vote has been overruled.

 

[Uncle Al]

Glad to see so many intelligent folks on this issue .... the last one was a collection of vaping ****** that don't appreciate efforts to save their otherwise meaningless lives .....

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Glad to see so many intelligent folks on this issue .... the last one was a collection of vaping ****** that don't appreciate efforts to save their otherwise meaningless lives .....

When you're addicted to drugs, you aren't rational. A lot of people are addicted to drugs. But that includes toxic food, smartphones and many other vices.

 

[DukeJukem]

Of course there will be; why should government prevent people from literally killing themselves? Nevermind the healthcare costs the rest of us have to absorb...

Exactly...and that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand. The government's job is to identify threats to the public and isolate/neutralize them.

Cigarettes
Assault weapons.
Bootlegged alcohol.
Bootlegged drugs

The vapers out there won't like it, but this is a public health epidemic and their vote has been overruled.

Cigarettes and alcohol are the top legal killers of people in this country, yet the government doesn't ban those. The simple solution here is to stop allowing anything from China to enter this country. It's as simple as that. Secondly, research needs to be done when it comes to e-liquids that are made in the United States vs the garbage that comes out of China. Finally, if both American made e-liquids are causing the same issues the Chinese garbage is causing, then we need to remove those ingredients, if they're even present to begin with. Trump is so hell bent on bringing things back to America from China, yet his stance on this is to ban everything completely whether its from America or China. The cigarette companies are losing a great deal of money here and that's the entire reasoning for this "epidemic." Contaminated products are to blame, not the clean products. Remember the toothpaste that used to kill people that came from China? Yea, we still have toothpaste right? We just don't have Chinese toothpaste. Remember the lead paint? We still have paint too. There are a lot of people who simply don't see the bigger picture here and I'm amazed at how stupid these people really are. Perhaps I should be the President.

 

[gamerk2]

Cigarettes and alcohol are the top legal killers of people in this country, yet the government doesn't ban those. The simple solution here is to stop allowing anything from China to enter this country. It's as simple as that. Secondly, research needs to be done when it comes to e-liquids that are made in the United States vs the garbage that comes out of China. Finally, if both American made e-liquids are causing the same issues the Chinese garbage is causing, then we need to remove those ingredients, if they're even present to begin with. Trump is so hell bent on bringing things back to America from China, yet his stance on this is to ban everything completely whether its from America or China. The cigarette companies are losing a great deal of money here and that's the entire reasoning for this "epidemic." Contaminated products are to blame, not the clean products. Remember the toothpaste that used to kill people that came from China? Yea, we still have toothpaste right? We just don't have Chinese toothpaste. Remember the lead paint? We still have paint too. There are a lot of people who simply don't see the bigger picture here and I'm amazed at how stupid these people really are. Perhaps I should be the President.

I would like to point out the US *tried* to ban alcohol; it went so badly that no one has seriously considered outright banning a consumer product since. All that would happen is that production would move underground and prices would rise.

What I would do is put vaping under the same regulatory umbrella as other cigarette products, especially in regards to advertising limitations.

 

[KG363]

Of course there will be; why should government prevent people from literally killing themselves? Nevermind the healthcare costs the rest of us have to absorb...

Exactly...and that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand. The government's job is to identify threats to the public and isolate/neutralize them.

Cigarettes
Assault weapons.
Bootlegged alcohol.
Bootlegged drugs

The vapers out there won't like it, but this is a public health epidemic and their vote has been overruled.

No, that's not their job.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

No, that's not their job.

It absolutely is. And I voted for it to do so.

 

[Kinemon]

#1 There are actually some "scientists" out there that don't "believe" that cigarettes cause lung cancer and emphysema. They are demonstrably wrong.


#2 A lot of these vape products are bootlegged in China, shipped here and weren't safe to begin with. The entire history of vaping has been wrought with exploding Chinese-made lithium ion batteries, unit failures and physical burns. Now the actually chemicals are making people sick. This isn't a matter of conjecture. This is real.

In the last vape-related article, there were so many proponents of vaping and I'm sure there will be now.

It's not about being a propnent of vaping or not. It's about misinformation. its black market marijuana vapes that are killing people. Its the oil they are using to liquify concentrates in order to vape them in THC vapes (Vitamin E acetate).

This product is not used in flavorings, or in nicotine vapes. The media choses not to draw that distinction usually, and so does the public.

Its like when the samsung notes were catching fire. They recalled them. Now imagine if they recalled all electronics that use batteries.

Vaping isn't the issue here, Actually the issue is marijuana prohibition. If it was legal and regulated, we wouldn't have black market THC cart's killing people.

 

[candle_86]

Ban it and it will go underground, I've got an rda and I know how to mix my own stuff. Unless you plan to ban the sale of pg, vg, nicottine, cotton, wire, and 18650 batteries you can't stop it.
It will actually cause a bigger crisis when teens and many adults go black market or to cigerettes

 

[Jeff Re]

And of course the tobacco lobby isn't involved at all...

 

[candle_86]

And of course the tobacco lobby isn't involved at all...

No of course not, this move hasn't caused a sharp increase in their stock value

 

[QuantumPhysics]

No of course not, this move hasn't caused a sharp increase in their stock value

Cigarettes are so highly taxed now that they are damn near unaffordable. It's a more expensive habit than drinking.

 

[candle_86]

Cigarettes are so highly taxed now that they are damn near unaffordable. It's a more expensive habit than drinking.

Doesn't matter, as a vaper since 2011 I switched because it smelled better and was safer. I was a 5 pack a day smoker. This move the FDA wants will cripple the vape industry and cause vapers to go back to smokes or go underground.

Prohibition worked great last time

 

[Larsenex]

Of course there will be; why should government prevent people from literally killing themselves? Nevermind the healthcare costs the rest of us have to absorb...

Exactly...and that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand. The government's job is to identify threats to the public and isolate/neutralize them.

Cigarettes
Assault weapons.
Bootlegged alcohol.
Bootlegged drugs

The vapers out there won't like it, but this is a public health epidemic and their vote has been overruled.

Sorry but we live in a free country.
Your list is silly. By your logic we should also ban cars since they kill WAY MORE PEOPLE then 'assault weapons (can you please define those?) or Vape product.

People should be free to do as they please without the government or you telling folks how to live. I don't want to pay for your healthcare but here we are.

 

[Markoni35]

Again problems with marijuana. The headline is completely wrong. It's not because of vaping, it's because of using marijuana or hemp extracts. And in particular THC. So... stop using marijuana and problem solved.

 

[Markoni35]

No of course not, this move hasn't caused a sharp increase in their stock value

Cigarettes are so highly taxed now that they are damn near unaffordable. It's a more expensive habit than drinking.

Yeah, while at the same time they legalize marijuana and advertise it in movies and series, basically baiting youngsters to start smoking weed. Insinuating that smoking weed is "healthy". Well... we can see how healthy it is from this example, where normal vaping didn't cause problems, but THC vaping did.

What's funniest is that same people who are against cigarettes, because they are dangerous for lungs, are for smoking marijuana. It's clear they don't care about health. They are just drug-dealers trying to ban a competing product.

 

[gamerk2]

Sorry but we live in a free country.
Your list is silly. By your logic we should also ban cars since they kill WAY MORE PEOPLE then 'assault weapons (can you please define those?) or Vape product.

People should be free to do as they please without the government or you telling folks how to live. I don't want to pay for your healthcare but here we are.

Based on your arguments, you seem to believe the US is designed as an Anarchy. But it's not; the government has a job requirement to protect it's people, and yes, that includes from themselves. And in regards to vaping, you have even less of an argument given that it's byproducts are actively dangerous to other individuals nearby.

Also, please stop with the "cars kill more people" argument; that's just being fictitious. Unlike guns, cars aren't designed to kill.

I *will* concede that "Assault Weapons" is lacking in definition, given that most pistols have semi-auto capacity now. Certainly though, anything that can chamber 5.56 NATO or it's equivalents (.223 Remmington, etc) should fall under that umbrella.

 

[gamerk2]

Vaping isn't the issue here, Actually the issue is marijuana prohibition. If it was legal and regulated, we wouldn't have black market THC cart's killing people.

Actually, legalizing marijuana is causing other problems. Colorado is suddenly having a meth problem; all the marijuana producers moved over the harder drugs in order to protect their profits.

Basically, if you legalize something, all you'll do is entice the illegal producers to move on to something else, something that is likely more dangerous at the end of the day.

 

[gamerk2]

No, that's not their job.

Yes it is; protecting the people is kind of the primary job function for a government.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Sorry but we live in a free country.
Your list is silly. By your logic we should also ban cars since they kill WAY MORE PEOPLE then 'assault weapons (can you please define those?) or Vape product.

People should be free to do as they please without the government or you telling folks how to live. I don't want to pay for your healthcare but here we are.

That's always a false argument.

Just like "they" use when they try to defend civilian use of assault weapons.

A car is not designed to kill. And guess what: there are "bans" on cars in many places where driving a car isn't allowed due to the large numbers of pedestrians.

Some drugs, however, are very likely to cause people to sicken and die. The government absolutely has a role in identifying threats to public health and neutralizing them.

"Second hand smoke" for example.

Are you telling me a woman should be allowed to smoke around children?

The answer is NO.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Actually, legalizing marijuana is causing other problems. Colorado is suddenly having a meth problem; all the marijuana producers moved over the harder drugs in order to protect their profits.

Basically, if you legalize something, all you'll do is entice the illegal producers to move on to something else, something that is likely more dangerous at the end of the day.

I was always of the mind that legalizing drugs like Marijuana would cause drug dealers to be forced to sell harder drugs to keep profits up. I hate having to argue with people who either can't see or refuse to see the simple logic.

Drug dealers "ain't" gonna just go back to college and get certified for legitimate work.

If all else fails, they'll sell guns if they have to or some other contraband.

People who are addicted to certain products or are determined to use certain products will ignore logic and continue to obstruct meaningful legislation.

My job, as a voter, is to marginalize them.

 

[wiyosaya]

The simple solution here is to stop allowing anything from China to enter this country. It's as simple as that.

I disagree. There is, absolutely, a lot of crap that comes from China and I am all in favor of banning the crap; however, there are, believe it or not, some great products, too, especially in the electronics field. And I am not talking about iCrap or dumphones, TVs, etc., things like electronic test equipment. HP has a Chinese company make their electronic test equipment. Find that manufacturer and you can buy equipment that is the exactly same as HP's but usually at 1/4 the price or less and without the HP logo.

Like it or not, IMO, the world is long past a point of no return from a global economy.