Texas should ban vaping until more known of risks

Texas needs a vaping break. Specifically, a break from vaping. It’s time for at least a temporary ban, until doctors and researchers can discover what about vaping is causing illness and death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given this new lung condition an official name: EVALI, for ‘electronic cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury.’ The CDC is tracking more than 1,200 cases and has confirmed 26 deaths in 21 states.

My kids and their friends started experimenting with vaping in middle school. I remember smelling the sweet cotton candy-like smell in their rooms. “Mom, it’s just vaping,” my son said. “We’re just vaping.” Back then, vaping was so new there were no scientific studies showing potential side effects or even if vaping was effective in its original stated intent to stop people from smoking.

I’m an internist and pediatrician as well as a mom. My concerns grew stronger over time because inhaling chemicals into our lungs is, generally speaking, a bad idea. I kept talking to my kids and their friends about the dangers of vaping, sending them news and links to articles.

Recent reports of hospitalization and death tied to vaping, though, bring this conversation to a new level. I’m not just telling my kids and colleagues anymore, I’m telling everyone: stop vaping! Houstonians experience enough problems with the air we breathe.

We don’t need to further endanger our lungs with shots of addictive tobacco mist.

Telling the truth about tobacco and tobacco products continues to be difficult in America. Once cigarette manufacturers realized they could insert chemicals to make cigarettes more addictive, the race was on to hook customers early, and the earlier the better.

When I was a kid, both of my parents smoked. They quit by the time I was in high school, but I grew up with that smell in the house and I hated it. I have never smoked and never will. This is what is so insidious about flavored cartridges. Today the manipulation of addictive additives isn’t a secret, it’s part of the advertising campaign: “Get your cotton candy flavored vape!”

My son, like most of us, wants to believe nothing bad will happen to him. He thinks whatever brand he uses is safe; it’s always the other brand or the other kid that will get sick. He did admit however that if the sweet flavors were not available, he would have never tried vaping. He doesn’t like the cigarette-flavored vapes.

A representative of one of the vaping manufacturers actually contacted my organization to ask us to help them advertise that their products are intended for adults, not children. Absolutely not! All we’re going to say about your products, sir, is the truth that they harm adults and children. And by the way, yes, you are targeting kids with flavored products.

There might be good news on the horizon. We may see at least a temporary federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes in the coming months, and vaping and electronic cigarette manufacturers could be routed through a new and hopefully rigorous Food and Drug Administration approval process.

In the meantime, Texas should temporarily ban sales of vaping pods, flavored cartridges, and related vaporizer products.

Something about vaping is injuring users’ lungs and causing death. We need to pull these products off the shelves until they’re proven to be safe .