Following an outbreak of a vaping-related lung illness in the United States, vaping has been deemed a public health issue. Around 805 people are suffering from lung diseases, while 12 people have died due to vape-related illness, according to the CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, one U.S. territory and 46 states across the nation have reported cases related to lung diseases. Two-third of those cases involve vapers in the age group of 18 to 34 years old, while 16 percent are under 18 years old and more than 69 percent of people are male.
Almost every patient has reported having a history of using products that contain THC, the psychoactive substance in cannabis. Although, one of the patients who died in Georgia in September was reported death due to “heavy nicotine vaping”.
A man was also killed after an e-cigarette exploded in his face, tearing his carotid artery which caused a massive stroke in Texas. Another man was killed due to an e-cigarette explosion. The blast tore his carotid artery which caused a massive stroke in Texas. Although, there have been no vaping-related deaths reported in the U.K. so far.
However, some doctors attributed the death of a 57-year-old British factory worker Terry Miller from lipoid pneumonia to vaping as they found oil (popularly known as e-juice) from an e-cig in his lungs.
In an open verdict, a coroner said he couldn’t confirm whether or not vaping had anything to do with Miller’s death. Similarly, last year lipoid pneumonia was developed in a woman’s lungs which were identified as vegetable glycerin found in e-cigarettes by the doctors. She was just 34-year-old.
While the link between lipoid pneumonia and vaping is disputed, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London, Ann McNeill said to The Independent that in case of this woman it “doesn’t really add up” that vaping a nicotine e-cigarette could be a cause of her illness.
“The case of lipoid pneumonia was allegedly caused by glycerin in the vape liquid the patient was inhaling – but glycerin is water-soluble and alcohol and not a lipid. So, the glycerin is unlikely to cause lipoid pneumonia.” She added.