Oklahoma health advocates warn against vaping
Va ping-related deaths have been reported across the nation. While none have yet been recorded in Oklahoma, health advocates are urging the public to stop using e-cigarettes and similar devices.
“We've been educating about the harms of vapor use for probably five years now,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Trust. “We've seen t hose efforts really eroded by the predatory marketing of these products on social media. It is really troubling to see folks coming to this product thinking that it's harmless.”
By Tuesday last week, in what some health officials have called an outbreak, six
people had died from lung disease related to vaping or using e-cigarettes, and there were more than 450 possible cases of severe lung injury in 33 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kansas health officials confirmed the first death in the state was a resident over 50 years old who also had a history of underlying health issues and was hospitalized with symptoms that progressed rapidly.
“If you or a loved one is vaping, please stop,” said Lee Norman, Kansas Health Officer and Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “The recent deaths across our country, combined with hundreds of reported lung injury cases, continue to intensify. I'm extremely alarmed for the health and safety of Kansans who are using vaping products and urge them to stop until we can determine the cause of vaping-related lung injuries and death.”
An investigation into the deaths has not identified
any specific substance or e-cigarette product that is linked to all cases. Still, many patients reported using e-cigarette products with liquids that contain cannabinoid products, such as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
By Thursday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported seven of eight severe respiratory cases involved vaping with THC, a chemical found in marijuana.
In California, a person who died in Los Angeles County was reportedly older than 55 and had other chronic health conditions. At one point, a dozen people in the county were hospitalized for vaping-related injuries. Nearly all of them reported THC use through vaping.
Last week, New Mexico health officials reported 12 cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping, saying all but one included the use of THC products. All of the cases required hospitalization.
Va ping is the act of inhaling vapor through an e-cigarette or similar device often containing nicotine. The devices deliver an aerosol to the user by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings
and other chemicals. They can also deliver marijuana or other substances.
Use of e-cigarettes has grown in popularity in recent years as many smokers have seen it as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. CDC officials say adult smokers who are attempting to quit should use evidence-based treatments, including counseling and FDA-approved medications.
The CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments are investigating the multi-state deaths and severe pulmonary disease associated with vaping products, which include devices, liquids, refill pods and cartridges.
Patients have reported symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever and weight loss. Some said their symptoms developed over a few days, while others reported that their symptoms developed over several weeks.
In Oklahoma, state epidemiologist Laurence Burnsed said as of Friday there had been no confirmed deaths or related cases.
“We are aware of the investigation and are involved with other states on the response,” he said. “We are asking physicians and healthcare providers to notify us of any patients who have a history of using e-cigarette products 90 days prior to the onset of symptoms.”
Popular among teens
A 2018 Monitoring the Future survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders in schools nationwide found a dramatic increase in teen use of vaping devices.
More than 37% of high school seniors reported “any vaping” in the past 12 months, compared to 27.8% in 2017, according to the survey, which was funded by a government grant to the University of Michigan.
More than 1 in 10 eighth graders said they vaped nicotine in the previous year, and use was up significantly in nearly all vaping measures among eighth, 10th and 12th graders.
Bisbee, of TSET, t he Oklahoma grant-making trust that primarily devotes funding to preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, said vapor products are the most commonly used nicotine products among teenagers.
“That' s troubling because we've worked hard as a state to reduce tobacco use,” she said. “It's been cut in half since TSET began. There was no sign this was a niche product or that this was going to go away. What we know is that when kids start, we see an increased likelihood in going to cigarettes. Flavors attract kids and nicotine keeps them.”
TSET has produced anti-vaping commercials and other materials aimed at preventing kids from using the products, as well as teaching parents how to address the issue.
Along with similar groups, TSET may get help from the White House.
President Donald Trump said last week his administration will propose banning e-cigarette flavors.
“We have a problem in our country,” Trump said. “It's a new problem. It's a problem nobody really thought about too much a few years ago, and it's called ` vaping' — especially vaping as it pertains to innocent children. And they're coming home and they're saying, `Mom, I want to vape.' And the parents don't know too much about it. And nobody knows too much about it, but they do know it's causing a lot of problems. And we're going to have to do something about it.”
According to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, the FDA will develop guidelines to remove all e-cigarette flavors from the market, except tobacco.
“I think the president's call to ban flavors is necessary,” Bisbee said.