Vaping is making people sick according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). More than three-hundred (300) cases of vapor smoking related illnesses have been reported to date affecting victims in at least thirty-six (36) states across the USA. The first death to a vaping-related illness was reported August 23 in Illinois. There after, Oregon officials announced a second death, identified as a middle-aged adult whose death was directly caused by vaping with marijuana oil. Fortunately, some of the victims received life saving medical attention in time as for example Adam Hergenreder whose vaping habit almost killed him. Adam is an 18-year-old student athlete in Gurnee, Illinois. He was hospitalized after using e-cigarettes for more than a year and a half. Medical experts report that his lungs are similar to those of a 70-year-old adult. Another victim named in reports is Utah resident Alexander Mitchell. Alexander went from being a 20-year-old hiking enthusiast to being kept alive by two machines forcing air into and out of his lungs and oxygenating his blood outside of his body. Doctor’s warned Alexander that he may have to suffer the rest of his life with diminished lung capacity by 25 percent and damage to his short-term memory.
The New England Journal of Medicine is currently researching the pressing question of: What is actually causing these health issues linked to vaping? So far, the study reveals that the illnesses caused by vaping may be linked to a certain type of white blood cells called macrophages, which function as traps for dangerous viruses and bacteria that invade one’s body with illnesses. These cells are being distorted in the lungs to trap helpful bacteria thus weakening the immune system. The clue that macrophages are the cause for the vaping epidemic is that the presence of lipid-laden macrophages in a person’s lungs is also used to diagnose lipoid pneumonia, a rare type of lung condition caused by inhaling these fat particles.
The safest way to continue vaping without seriously exposing oneself to illnesses is by only buying products sold in legal markets like Colorado, California, and Oregon among a few other states. Black market or home-made products trafficked in states that have not legalized cannabis are dangerous. The legal sale of cannabis products ensures that these products are lab tested in licensed facilities for residual pesticides, unwanted contaminants, and the presence of mycotoxins like mold and mildew. No such testing is guaranteed for black market products.
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/why-test-cannabis
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/11/health/vaping-lung-illness-illinois-teen-profile/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/10/health/vaping-outbreak-2019-explainer/index.html
