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Recently, the vaping craze among American youth has caused major controversy across the country. Previously believed to be a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, vaping has led to addiction and health concerns for many young people. The most debilitating physical effects of this trend are only surfacing presently.
In fact, the first double lung transplant for someone suffering from vaping-related illness was performed on October 15th, according to LadBible. Although the patient remains unnamed, he was revealed to be only seventeen years old. Without the surgery, his death would have been “imminent”. While he is already recovering, his journey to gain back strength and mobility will be long and difficult. His family is spreading the story in an effort to curb vaping among adolescents.
Individual states have begun passing vaping reforms. In fact, Oregon and Washington have already banned certain types of e-cigarettes. President Trump has also been speaking with vaping executives about regulations.
As to what it is in vape products that causes illness, the CDC is still investigating. However, there have been a few breakthroughs. For instance, Vitamin E acetate could be a catalyst for mal-effects. The CDC took “samples from the lungs of 29 people with suspected vaping-related injury and discovered that all of them contained Vitamin E acetate”. Another factor could be those products that use THC, as they have been present in almost 85% of lung related injuries and deaths due to vaping.
More can be found about medical research regarding vaping here.
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