Fourteen teenagers and young adults have been hospitalized in Illinois and Wisconsin for shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The lung disease was initially believed to be an infection, but all tests have come back negative, leaving medical officials searching for an answer. The only link among the patients is they’ve all reported vaping recently.
Three people were hospitalized in Illinois, while 11 were hospitalized in Wisconsin. Some of the patients exhibited extremely dangerous symptoms. According to a report from CNN, Thomas Haupt, a respiratory disease epidemiologist with Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, stated on Friday the patients were, “otherwise normally healthy, and were coming in with severe respiratory illnesses, and in some cases, they actually had to go to the intensive care unit and were placed on ventilators.”
Health departments in both Illinois and Wisconsin are continuing to investigate the source of the disease. The link between vaping and lung disease is not new. In 2018, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a consensus report outlining the dangers of vaping and its links to lung disease. The report specifically pointed to the dangers of the chemicals found in vaping liquids, “E-cigarettes produce a number of dangerous chemicals including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. These aldehydes can cause lung disease, as well as cardiovascular (heart) disease.”
While both states work to investigate if there’s a possible link to a specific vaping liquid, the state of Wisconsin’s health department has issued a warning, “We strongly urge people to avoid vaping products and e-cigarettes. Anyone—especially young people who have recently vaped—experiencing unexplained breathing problems should see a doctor,” Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm stated in a press release.
Vaping among continues to grow, with 78 percent increase in use among teens from 2017 to 2018 according to a National Youth Tobacco Survey. This leaves many healthcare professionals concerned not only with the immediate side effects of vaping, but the long-term effects, many of which are still being studied.
Parentology reported earlier this year about the dangers e-cigarettes pose, especially to adolescents. Dr. Laura Neustater, a Fort Lauderdale based pediatrician shared that side effects are now commonplace in her practice, “As a pediatrician, I see adolescents daily. I’m sadly no longer surprised to see teenagers which chronic coughs from vaping.”
While the investigation into the specific cause of the recent hospitalizations in Illinois and Wisconsin continues, medical officials all agree vaping is dangerous for teens and young adults.