If you’ve tapped open a newspaper app or tuned into the evening news in the past three weeks then you’ve probably heard reports of teens and young adults being hospitalized due to a mysterious and severe lung disease. Hospitalizations are being reported in seven states, including WI, MN, OH, IL, IN, NY, and CA.
Warnings posted by state departments of health are making the very general claim that these illnesses are a result of “vaping.” But we know that different people vape different substances (other than nicotine) and that nearly all of these cases are attributable to consuming adulterated or poorly manufactured THC products or synthetic cannabinoids like K2 and Spice.
While this issue deserves a much larger discussion about how federal and state drug laws are creating this situation (even in states where recreational cannabis is legal–but expensive), the most practical advice to consumers is to purchase products from legal and reputable retailers. While fear of prosecution might lead some people to hide their k2 or cannabis use, anyone experiencing respiratory issues after vaping anything needs to clearly notify doctors of what they were consuming. This is crucial both for treatment and accurately alerting the public. In almost all of the recently reported cases, cartridges were purchased on the underground market.
We are likely to see many more reports of hospitalizations due to “fake pot” vaping before this is through.
Please be safe.
Active Calls to Action:
- CO – Glenwood Springs – “Stop a Flavor Ban!”
- WY – Cheyenne – “Stop an indoor vaping ban!”
- CO – Boulder – “Stop a flavor ban, Taxes, and Tobacco 21”
- CA – Richmond – “Richmond, CA Is Moving Toward the New Vaping Prohibition.”
- CA – Sacramento County – “Stop a Flavor Ban!” (Testimonials Needed)
- MA – “Stop a Flavor Ban!” (S 1279)
- NY – Albany County – “Stop a Flavor Ban!” (Local Law “E”)
The More You Know:
- Progressive Policy Institute – “The Impact of Electronic Cigarettes on Cigarette Smoking By Americans and Its Health and Economic Implications.”(Aug. 1)
- Don’t let the long title fool you. This is a well balanced report based on data from CDC and other sources covering the last ten years.
- Chadi, N.; et al – “Association Between Electronic Cigarette Use and Marijuana Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults.” (Aug. 12)
- What Advocates should know (about this and other “gateway” studies)
- Association doesn’t prove causation. There’s no way to know that person wouldn’t have used a drug in the absence of vaping products. Indeed, many youth used drugs before vaping ever existed. Additionally, those already at risk of substance abuse are likely to start with legal substances before crossing the line to criminal behavior.
- Cross-sectional studies included drug use PRIOR to vaping and those clearly aren’t a case of vaping as the gateway to drug use.
- Just one puff of drug counted subject as “user,” even if never used again.This clearly could have inflated the statistics of “users.”
- Gateway theories have never been proven and claims are highly controversial.
- What Advocates should know (about this and other “gateway” studies)
- PR Newswire – Vapor Technology Association and Vapor Stockroom File Lawsuit Against FDA.” (Aug. 14)
- Clive Bates – “Vaping risk compared to smoking: Challenging a false and dangerous claim by Professor Stanton Glantz.” (Aug. 14)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – Supplemental Information on Liquid Nicotine Packaging for Rigid Containers (Aug. 15)
- If you’re on Facebook, please be sure to join your CASAA state group to help prevent anti-harm reduction laws like these from spreading through your state! Click here to find your state group: CASAA State Facebook Group List
- Find your state information here: Find My State Info – CASAA
- And remember to officially join CASAA. Membership is FREE.
CASAA is made stronger with every voice we can count!
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