California Government To Urge Everyone Quit Vaping

Unless you live under the rock, you’ve probably heard the news that California state public health institution has issued a warning regarding vape products. They urged everyone to stop using e-cigarettes due to the fact they are somehow linked to a severe lung illness. 

Massive Hospitalization

Over the past two months or so, hundreds of citizens were hospitalized across the entire nation with severe lung ailments. The said conditions supposedly arose from vape products, namely, those that include nicotine and THC compounds. According to officials, in California, around 90 people were hospitalized with two deaths reported due to the illness. 

Dr. Charity Dean, one of Californias public health experts states: “We are seeing something that we have not seen before”. The expert urges everyone to stop vaping as there is a number of unknown factors that might have caused this problem. According to the doctor, due to uncertainty, it is best to stay away from such products. 

An Ongoing Investigation

As some of you already know, many e-cigarettes come loaded with a cartridge that contains THC and/or nicotine.

This is what gets turned into vapor, which we all like to inhale, and that’s where the trouble lies. It’s believed that such vapor has something that is capable of entering people’s lungs and cause damage. 

On Tuesday, Gov. Newsom in a statement said that “People are getting sick and some are dying as a result of vaping”. He then continued, “Californians are encouraged to stop vaping until health officials fully understand what’s causing this public health crisis.”

Now we don’t know if it will lead to a nation-wide vaping ban but it is quite concerning, all things considered. 

The U.S Disease Control and Prevention Center has been gathering data from all kinds of sources and analyzing the symptoms. The most common ones are shortness of breath, chest pain, and vomiting.

Again, they aren’t exactly sure what causes the issue but advice everyone to stay away from vaping until further notice. 

The Story So Far

There have been reported around 530 cases as of September 25th, 2019, as well as one vapor cigarette death in Los Angeles County out of seven nationwide.

The issue continues to grow as more people refuse to temporarily stop. The general demographic of this issue is between the ages of 18 to 30. It is also worth mentioning that there are no specific brands or devices linked to the outbreak, according to officials.

The majority of vapers that became sick used THC (some used a mix of nicotine), which is why other substances aren’t mentioned. 

Although despite this, according to Dr. James Sargent, the issue isn’t new and there have been cases of people becoming ill long before this particular incident. The earliest report documented is at least five years old.

However, there weren’t enough said cases, hence why the officials weren’t able to track a pattern. Now, doctors who managed to spot the aforementioned symptoms will ask patients about previous e-cigarette consumption.

But even this is not enough. Sargent noted that there is little to no vaping product regulations, stating that “the whole vaping thing is like the Wild West.” He also asserted that none of the officials want to check how much nicotine is being put in these products. 

Government Taking Action

The issue continues to grow as more potential incidents are on the horizon. Currently, the government across the country is trying to take action. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker went as far as asking others to put a four-month ban on vape products.

And this isn’t the only case. Take, for instance, Michigan – it is one of the first states to ban flavored e-cig products. Earlier this month, Michigan became the first state in the nation to ban flavored e-cigarettes whereas San Francisco is one of the first to ban e-cigarette products entirely. 

Earlier this month, Los Angeles County supervisor even proposed to ban flavored cigs, stating that it’s a gateway to nicotine for kids. The discussion took quite some time and drew a lot of attention from the outside.

Many came with banners that read “Flavored tobacco is a death trap.” and “I Vote, I Vape”. As usual, opinions split but the board voted to advance the escalation of the issue and will return next week. 

Bottom Line

The issue seems to be nationwide and more people are being hospitalized. Thankfully, the trouble was assessed in a timely manner and it is only a matter of time before the officials settle on a decision.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think vape products will be banned? Or is the issue caused by something entirely different? Let us know!