Vapers suffer ‘gas attack’ injuries

announced plans to ban flavoured e-cigarettes in the US because of fears over their appeal to young people.

Of the 17 patients from whom samples were taken in the study, only eight had smoked. All had foamy accumulations indicating acute fibrinous pneumonitis, a type of scarring.

Dr Brandon Larsen, the study’s senior author, said: ‘‘While we can’t discount the potential role of lipids, we have not seen anything to suggest this is a problem caused by lipid accumulation in the lungs.

‘‘Instead, it seems to be some kind of direct chemical injury, similar to what one might see with exposures to toxic chemical fumes, poisonous gases and toxic agents.’’

Of the patients in the study, 12 had vaped with marijuana or cannabis oil. This could be significant because the vaping lobby and some scientists argue the recent spate of illnesses related to vaping are a result of THC, the principal psychoactive compound in marijuana, or cannabidiol (CBD).

The Mayo team also found small mixed brown and black particles resembling particulate matter found in smoking, leading them to conclude that they may have originated from the vaping liquid or device.

‘‘This is a public health crisis, and a lot of people are working frantically to find out what the culprit or culprits could be – and what chemicals may be responsible,’’ said Larsen. ‘‘We suspect that most cases involve chemical contaminants, toxic by-products or other noxious agents within vape liquids.’’

Public Health England encourages vaping as a means of quitting cigarettes and has argued it is no more than five per cent as dangerous as smoking.

However, critics believe the nuance is lost on the wider public, particularly young people, who interpret the guidance as a clean bill of health for the practice. – Telegraph Group