US public health officials warned who aren’t already smokers to avoid e-cigarettes and other vaping devices after a mysterious outbreak of a serious lung disease which has sickened 215 individuals across 25 states and been connected to at least one death.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working with the state health department to figure out what is causing the harm, which they state has been tied to vaping.
In many cases, patients reported using items that included cannabis or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, before becoming sick. The agencies cautioned against modifying
commercial gadgets or consuming home-brew substances.
FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless said in the statement that “Anyone who uses e-cigarette products should not buy these products off the street and should not modify e-cigarette products or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.”
Dana Meaney-Delman, who is overseeing the CDC’s reaction, said the agency suggests individuals not utilize e-cigarettes while the investigation is on-going and until officials identify a cause.
“That board recommendation is because we do have a diversity of products some containing nicotine and some containing THC,” she said. “As more information comes about and we can narrow down the specific e-cigarette products, we intend to revise that.”