Statewide Health Alert For Vaping After 5 In MD Hospitalized

BALTIMORE, MD — Many people think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking, according to the American Heart Association, but increasing reports of illness, breathing problems and even severe lung damage show that e-cigarettes may be dangerous, even in the short term. The Maryland Department of Health on Wednesday said that in the past two months, five people were hospitalized with severe breathing problems after vaping.

MDH said all five patients developed severe lung illness after using e-cigarettes, often referred to as “vaping.” Respiratory symptoms reported by patients included shortness of breath, pain associated with breathing and cough. Other symptoms reported included fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The cases displayed no clear infectious cause and all required hospitalization, authorities said.

To date, none of the cases in Maryland have been fatal. These cases are part of the nearly 200 reported incidents of vaping-related illness in 22 states, resulting in at least one death.

“The Maryland Department of Health is taking this issue seriously and is working with local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to identify anyone who may be experiencing similar symptoms,” said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Frances B. Phillips in a news release.

The cause of these illnesses is not yet known and has not been linked to any particular device, substance or brand. People who became ill reported using a variety of vaping products, including those containing marijuana and THC and those containing nicotine.

“This is a serious and potentially life-threating illness,” said Bruce Anderson, Executive Director of the Maryland Poison Center. “If you have used e-cigarettes or vaped in the past weeks or months, and you start to have trouble breathing, stop using these products and seek immediate medical attention.”

Many vaping products have been found to contain substances that can be toxic when inhaled and might not be listed on product packaging.

“There is so much we don’t know about the contents of these products. The best way to keep yourself safe is to not use e-cigarettes or vapes,” said Dawn Berkowitz, Director for the MDH Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control. “We know quitting is hard, but there are resources available to help. Trained professionals are available 24/7 to help you stop vaping or smoking.”

The CDC has issued an advisory on e-cigarettes, saying:

• The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.
• E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.
• Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.
• The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.

What are e-cigarettes?

• E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or mix of small particles in the air.
• E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes. Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold a liquid.
• Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items. Larger devices such as tank systems, or "mods," do not look like other tobacco products.
• E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called "e-cigs," "e-hookahs," "mods," "vape pens," "vapes," "tank systems," and "electronic nicotine delivery systems."
• Using an e-cigarette is sometimes called "vaping" or "JUULing."
• Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens, and other everyday items.

How do e-cigarettes work?

• E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol.
• The liquid used in e-cigarettes often contains nicotine and flavorings. This liquid is sometimes called "e-juice," "e-liquid," "vape juice," or "vape liquid."
• Users inhale e-cigarette aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales it into the air.
• E-cigarette devices can be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.

What Is JUUL?

• JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is shaped like a USB flash drive. Like other e-cigarettes, JUUL is a battery-powered device that heats a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled.
• News outlets and social media sites report widespread use of JUUL by students in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms.

What are the other risks of e-cigarettes for kids, teens and young adults?

• Scientists are still learning about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
• Some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could also be harmful to the lungs in the long-term. For example, some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the gut can process more substances than the lungs.
• Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.
• Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes.

MDH encourages medical providers caring for patients with unexplained serious respiratory illness to ask about a history of recent e-cigarette use or vaping, and to report suspected cases to their local health department.

MDH will post updated case information as it becomes available to https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/OEHFP/EH/Pages/VapingIllness.aspx.

For free help to stop using these devices or any tobacco product, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, as of July 31, 2019, poison control centers have managed 2,439 exposure cases about e-cigarette devices and liquid nicotine in 2019.