It’s no longer news that e-cigarettes and vaping devices can cause severe lung problems, including deaths. What is new is a report from the FDA in August 2019 of over 100 cases of epileptic seizures in young people with no prior history of epilepsy and no other recognized triggers. Not to condone marijuana vaping, it appears that nicotine is the more likely culprit. Seizures can occur after only a few puffs in first-time users.
In September 2019, the CDC reported 480 cases of pulmonary problems and at least 12 deaths within only 2 months prior to the report. The incidence of lung damage and seizures will undoubtedly rise given that rates of vaping have doubled in the last two years. One report found one in four high school seniors, one in five sophomores, and one in ten eighth graders had vaped within the past month.
The exact provocation for seizures is not known for certain. Heavy metals, including lead, chromium, nickel, and arsenic are often found in aerosol samples, alarmingly lead in 94% and manganese in 64%. Manganese can also cause irreversible Parkinson’s.
The founders of Juul, the first and most dominant product on the market, believed they were acting in the public good and that vaping would reduce cigarette smoking and, in turn, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Now “big tobacco” (Altria) has acquired the company.
The levels of nicotine have been manipulated so that one “pod” is the equivalent of an entire pack of cigarettes. To all ex-smokers out there, recall how awful you felt after your first cigarette. Imagine if you smoked a pack all at once.
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