Vape Ban in the USA
On Friday, two reports were published which shed more light on the mysterious growth and outbreak of lung diseases due to vaping, especially the ones containing THC products in particular. The US centre for disease control and prevention released this report which gave an in-depth look at the outbreak in the two states Illinois and Wisconsin.
Almost 7 out of 10 patients are men ageing almost 23 years. Nearly 77 % of 500 patients reported that they used THC containing products, and almost 57% of them reported using nicotine-containing products. At the beginning of this month, it was announced by New York health officials that a state investigation between vaping and severe lung diseases has revealed discovering extremely high levels of the chemical vitamin E acetate in almost all vaping products which contain cannabis. At least a single vape product that contains this chemical is linked to every ill person who submitted a product for state testing.
The CDC is doing a complex investigation of nearly all states where these serious and life-threatening diseases in young people due to the use of vaping.
Recently due to the multi-state outbreak of lung diseases and injuries which are associated with using vaping products, Massachusetts has become the latest state to impose the vaping ban. Massachusetts has also restricted the sales of these vaping products as many concerns about the health effects due to vaping are raised by health experts and elected officials.
Emergency ban on vape products in Washington State
An emergency ban has been imposed by the Washington government on all flavoured vaping products which contain nicotine and THC. This executive order has directed the Washington state health department to take serious actions.
Inslee said, “The state board of health will be asked to take emergency action and ban all flavoured vapour products along with flavoured THC products immediately. This executive order the Washington state liquor and cannabis board and the department to immediately ban all the sources and ingredients which are found to erupt this acute lung illness” during a press conference on Friday.
She further added that she expects the board to take this request and vote for it at their next meeting. This announcement was made in response to the outbreak of lung diseases nationwide due to vaping. With around 805 lung injury cases being reported in the US Virgin Islands and 46 other states, 13 deaths are even confirmed in 10 states. Two each in Kansas, California, Oregon and one each in Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, Georgia and Minnesota. Yet, the specific chemical exposure, which is causing lung diseases associated with vaping, is still unknown.
Other states are also taking action for prohibiting the sale of certain vaping products. Massachusetts government also joined the bunch of other states and ordered a 4 month temporary station-wide ban this week on both selling and using flavoured as well as non-flavoured vaping products, including e-cigarettes. This ban though temporary is broader than the ones in New York and Michigan who banned only vape flavours.
Baker said that on Tuesday 24th of September, 61 more cases of lung diseases related to vaping and electronic cigarettes had been reported in the state of Massachusetts. During this ban, the administration and medical experts will work with the state and federal officials to find out about the vaping illnesses and their cause, along with addressing the public health crisis. Ever since, health experts, as well as elected officials, are raising concerns about the effects of vaping on health. At the beginning of this month, both Michigan and New York had banned the sale of most flavoured vaping products and cigarettes.
Stockpiling of e-liquids
Some vaping enthusiasts have been reported to stockpile the flavours like lemon sherbet, aqua sweet cereal milk, dinner lady and vapetasia killer kustard. Many people who are stockpiling the flavoured e-liquids believe that the ban by trumps administration is ridiculous and unnecessary. As most of the vape users in the US are afraid of returning to cigarettes, so they have started stockpiling e-liquids and nicotine flavoured juice. The president of the American vaping association warned the nicotine addicts for preparing for the worst as they are at a heavy risk of relapsing back to smoking.
Mike Helms has even suspected that these proposed bans may consequently lead to a rise in the black market of flavoured e-liquid along with accelerated stock pilling. Helms said that such kinds of bans usually inspire a knee jerk reaction by the people who are affected the most. He gave the example of the handguns and Glock pistols ban in the 1970’s and 1980s, which evoked unprecedented sales boost in the market due to the proposed ban.
Vaping health consequences is nascent
As we are all well aware of the link between cigarettes and lung cancer, the health consequences of vaping are not clear yet. In the US, hundreds are sick and some even dead with the outbreak of vaping related illnesses. The CDC has recommended pregnant women, youth and even adults to stay away from e-cigarettes who have never used tobacco products before.
The American lung association has already warned about irreversible lung damage and diseases and declared e-cigarettes to be unsafe.
What are e-cigarettes and vape pens?
E-cigarettes and vape pens are an alternative to traditional cigarettes. Vaping is inhaling a vaporized liquid. This liquid is heated in the device to produce vapour which the user inhales. Some e-cigarettes contain nicotine, while others contain THC. They come in different shapes and sizes with many names like vapes, e-cigs, tank systems, mods and ENDS, but they all have three basic components, the heating element, the liquid which contains nicotine with flavourings and the mouthpiece.