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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Dangers of Vaping: What We Know
When vaping became mainstream a little over a decade ago, it was initially marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, or a way to help wean yourself off nicotine gradually. But in reality, its a lot more complicated than that.
On Friday, August 23rd, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first death following an outbreak of severe lung disease in those who use e-cigarette or vaping devices. According to CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield, this reinforces the serious health risks associated with e-cigarette products as well as how much is still unknown.
Vaping exposes users to many different substances for which we have little information about related harms including flavorings, nicotine, cannabinoids, and solvents, Redfield said in a statement. The CDC is currently working with state and local health departments and FDA to investigate the cause of this ongoing outbreak.
Giving that vaping is relatively new especially given Americas long history with cigarettes and other tobacco products there is a lot we are still learning about its impact on the body, both in the long- and short-term. Heres what we know so far:
Vaping 101
The first electronic cigarette was patented in 1965, and consisted of a battery-powered element would heat tobacco flavor without combustion. A similar smokeless non-tobacco product, called the Flavor Cigarette was introduced in 1986, but never took off. The modern e-cigarette as we know it was developed in China in 2003, and made it over to the United States a few years later.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, e-cigarettes or vape pens describe battery-operated nicotine delivery systems which are activated when a person puffs, vaporizing the liquid in the cartridge. The person then inhales the resulting aerosol or vapor known as vaping. In addition to nicotine, its also possible to vape other substancese liek tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical in marijuana that produces the feeling of being high.
-more-
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/vaping-danger-health-what-we-know-877652/
elocs
(22,474 posts)However, she never uses THC since marijuana is poison to her.
How is mj poison for her?
elocs
(22,474 posts)that they can't hear anything negative said about their drug of choice, but for my daughter it causes her to become psychotic and then her life falls apart. So people may die from eating peanuts or taking aspirin, but marijuana is supposed to be the safest substance known to mankind. But not for everybody.
CountAllVotes
(20,854 posts)She likes the high but she hates the dizziness and vomiting that she gets.
It is not for everyone, that is for certain.
Mosby
(16,159 posts)I have smoked pot for a very long time, but I see it as a recreational drug, not medicine. I find the "rebranding" of pot kind of troubling, in reality it does nothing for pain, for me it makes it worse.
I think that it helps alter the mind's perception of pain. It does not prevent nor ease pain and I've tried it all from CBD capsules ($$$$$$$) to 50+ mg THC capsules to Indica strains that are over 30%. More $$$$$$ I do not have.
No help w/pain and awful spasms from MS sorry to say!
They tell me "Studies say this works!".
Studies say one thing but a person that has tried it all and has the actual problem says nay and oh they do not like that.
It has become a panacea IMO.
Brainfodder
(6,423 posts)It's not for everyone that is clear and always has been.
I microdose dispensary only purchased flower, no vaping, just filtering through a big beaker bong, usually.
I've smoked at least 50 strains, they are all different, we are all different.
Anyone using cannabis, it will be very lucky if they find the ideal strains immediately FOR THEM specifically.
I'm a goner if I stop using cannabis altogether, did decades of big pharma to no real comfort, and even ANOTHER visit with the knife, & my depression is at the end of the cycle, I reached the point of acceptance, which is right before you kill yourself.
I have chronic pain as well, 20+ years, so I can speak to this also:
For mine, I can overwhelm my head with a strong sativa or sativa dominant hybrid, so the actual pain isn't registering much if at all, that works great!
I get a lot of cramps, I'm over 50, and indicas or indica dominant hybrids work great for me with that.
I have insomnia too as one might imagine with the above...
I take a stronger indica 30 mins before I wish to visit my pillow, and I haven't ever slept this well in a 2 year span before, it's wonderful!
SO please avoid blanket statements, there are tons of people being helped by it and lots of info sites to help pre-shop strains.
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)Maybe it depends on the type of pain??
Mosby
(16,159 posts)tblue37
(64,979 posts)UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)elocs
(22,474 posts)has been well established, and it's not simply being allergic to it.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)tymorial
(3,433 posts)If I take marijuana I will get terrible muscle spasms. To those who may wish to challenge me, save it. I know it's supposed to have the opposite effect.
The last time I used it was the last time. It wasnt always like this. I could smoke or eat but I never really felt anything at all. I sometimes would experience some mild relaxation but i never found it pleasing, euphoric etc. I tried many times in high school and college mostly just to participate with my friends.
Anyway, when it became legal I decided to pick up some buds to see if my experience would be different. I researched the strains and found a couple that might work for me. The first couple of times I didnt really feel much. It did make me hungry and actually improved the taste of the food which was interesting. Nothing else though.
One day it started to make my muscles really tight. The entire length of my back felt stiff. My neck stiffened and my legs tightened. It went away but I never felt any mood altering besides discomfort. I tried again a few days later and this time I ended up with priapism for 3 hours. Thankfully it went away because I know how that is treated... i have seen it. I stopped for a while because I figured this was pointless and the adverse effects made it worthless. I also wasnt interested in a needle down there.
Fast forward a couple of months later and being the dumb ass that I am I decided to give it one last shot. The same stiffness and tightening happened only this time it was way worse. I couldnt breath and I passed out twice. It was coming in waves and I could feel when it was about to happen. Because of the muscle pain in my back and chest I thought it was a heart attack. The ambulance took me to the ER. I was tachy at first but it stopped after a few hours and the ekg returned to normal. My primary ordered a holter just in case but it came back as normal and I never had the symptoms again. It was definitely odd. Nothing has ever caused those symptoms other than the pot use.
Never again. Who knows, maybe it's an allergy. I have no idea. I definitely have a different reaction than others that's for certain
Skittles
(152,964 posts)pot makes me paranoid
yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)but now that it is legal in CA, I do all my smoking at home...for medical reasons, and I like the high, JUJU and I often go on IMVU together and smoke weed, Its great!
Skittles
(152,964 posts)I thought the same ...... give it another try.......nope, sheer paranoia. I remember an ex saying you just need to get PAST that, but I never can......oh well
SHRED
(28,136 posts)I laid off cannabis for a long while back then.
I'm 62 and cannabis absolutely agrees with me now.
People change and I hope your daughter gets well.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Im talking valid scientific studies not reefer madness crap
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)WhiskeyWulf
(569 posts)One became psychotic & was hospitalized, and the other had severe anxiety that resulted in an ER visit. Both had extensive mental health histories -- their reactions must have been related to brain chemistry differences.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)what, selling them and making a lot of money. That's why it all needs to be legal and regulated.
elocs
(22,474 posts)using weed is a disaster.
It is safe for most who use it, but it's dishonest to claim it is safe for everyone because it is not.
The link between marijuana use and particularly those with schizophrenia is established for anyone who cares enough to do a search on it.
I had the same thing when young.
Now at 62 I really enjoy the affects of smoking and the deeper sleep I get from the edibles I make.
People change.
I wish only the best for your daughter.
I had an extreme case including many trips to the psyche ward. I even stayed in Salem OR where One Flew Over The Koo Koo's Nest was filmed.
This was the early 1980's.
I say this to give you hope.
All my best.
Chemisse
(30,793 posts)I can smoke a tiny bit but that's it. So I don't bother with it.
elocs
(22,474 posts)but never did any drugs of any kind, have never smoked weed, didn't drink until I was 21 and quit when I was 23. There's no way I could tell my daughter that she should not drink or smoke marijuana when I do it myself.
Brainfodder
(6,423 posts)That is usually the culprit on ER visit quality problems.
I agree the anxiety possibilities need folks to ease into a new strain.
I've experienced pretty much every bad and good cannabis has to offer.
I had a very bad week but it's nearly 2 years in the review mirror, I figured it out for me, and glad I stuck with it!
Specific terpenes need consideration when shopping it, ofc folks stuck with black market have little help on that one.
WhiskeyWulf
(569 posts)But no, both were smoking it. That's interesting about edibles -- I didn't know.
Brainfodder
(6,423 posts)...and suddenly they've eaten multiple doses instead of 1, oops.
Then it kicks in and PANIC time, especially if new to the effects, and edibles I've heard are more intense, and those effects can last up to 8 hours, smoking flower is 45 mins - 3 hour range for effects.
Liquids are usually quicker than solids as well.
I have dabbled, but I stick to flower, I didn't like even 10mg of edibles.
hunter
(38,264 posts)Part of me may even be a little jealous of people who have enjoyed any "recreational" drug.
My mind went a little sideways in late adolescence.
If I'm seeking to experience altered states of consciousness, including hallucinations and inexplicable mood changes, I can *quit* taking my prescribed psych meds.
Worse, those meds can fade on me.
The last time that happened I landed in the locked psych ward.
My grandma suffered some sort of mental illness (it wasn't talked about then) and she self-medicated with nicotine. She was a chain smoker and it killed her. That's one path I never ventured down.
elocs
(22,474 posts)It was like a sleeping big dog in her brain.
When she first smoked weed when she was 16 it was like screaming to the dog, "WAKE UP!!!" and it did then.
Marijuana use ultimately led to hospitalizations and psychotic breakdowns. Every time she would come back it would be a little harder than the last time.
She smokes because it helps her to think (up to 90% of those with schizophrenia smoke--more than 4 times the general population) and that makes it even harder to quit.
Myself, I've never needed or wanted to use any recreational drug. Except chocolate, does that count?
Tink41
(537 posts)No link, but the info had been updated Friday. It seems most of those who have fallen ill were using bootlegged pods, ejuice, and either using THC containing pods/pens or adding street THC oil to their pods. I've stayed on top of this issue as I'm currently tobacco free for a year, thanks to a national brand. I do not want to go back to tobacco and am hoping to be completely free soon.
Iggo
(47,486 posts)How a person gets to that point varies from person to person.
But the only way to quit is to stop and never start again.
CountAllVotes
(20,854 posts)Mr. CAV was a 4-pack a day smoker in 1978.
He quit cold turkey and never went back.
Today he is 84 years old and he is outside in the yard doing some gardening at the moment.
Every one else in his family is dead from tobacco (cancer). So sad.
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)Iggo
(47,486 posts)What kind of reply was that? Odd... For myself vaping nicotine is no different than the patch or gum.
I thought you were looking to quit.
You were just talking about using an alternative nicotine delivery device.
My mistake.
Enjoy!
You can do it!
I've been tobacco free for about 12 years, best thing I ever did for my health.
flotsam
(3,268 posts)Actually the article says this:"At this point, the CDC hasnt identified a singular cause for these illnesses, though those affected have reported use of e-cigarettes, as well as vaping products containing THC. So far, there is no evidence to suggest that an infectious disease is involved, or that there is any specific product linked to the condition."
Mariana
(14,847 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,043 posts)It severed his carotid artery.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/05/texas-man-dies-vape-pen-explosion-says-medical-examiner/2775957002/
Mariana
(14,847 posts)stopdiggin
(11,089 posts)1) this "issue" seems to have cropped up fairly recently .. leading researchers to think that the problems might be coming from "unapproved" street refills and substances. Cannabis products are frequently mentioned, but as the technology becomes more accepted (and pervasive) there are all kinds of other substances as well. Earlier usage, confined basically to nicotine, didn't appear to present these symptoms.
2) another substance targeted for suspected concern: OIL. Either inherent in the substances vaped, or contained within a "delivery system," some oils appear to persist in the lungs leading to inflammation effects or allergic reaction on the part of the body.
-- Many vaping ingredients are not listed on the products. Vitamin E oil appears to have been a common substance associated with the severe and sudden respiratory problems in some of the New York cases, according to state health officials. It is not known how it was used. Vitamin E is sometimes advertised as a supplement in cannabidiol oil, which is not designed for vaping but has been used that way.
Mariana
(14,847 posts)Almost nothing, according to the story. Someone who vaped got sick and died. They don't even know if the vape caused the illness:
There was a thread about some people who might have gotten sick from vaping a little while back. The one person who was named and described in the article bought his vape cartridge off the street. It could have contained literally anything. That article, like this one, contained plenty of phrases like, "it's possible that" and "it isn't clear if" and "it could have been". Lots of speculation and very little in the way of facts.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212377814
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)I've been vaping for years using reputable suppliers.
honeylady
(157 posts)I thought it would be better for me. Always made sure what I bought was C02 extracted. Loved it. No mess. No tar, no cleaning, easy to do in public.
About six months after starting I developed viral bronchitis. A year later, I developed pleurisy. I always had great lungs. No problem with major cardio workouts.
I do not vape cannabis anymore and warn everyone I know about it. They need to be outlawed as an extreme health hazard.
obamanut2012
(25,906 posts)Yeah, didn't think.
I have medical cannabis, and vape it, since edibles are not legal here yet, and I have asthma. Legit vaping products will not cause either of those things.
The amount of Reefer Madness posts lately are so strange.
honeylady
(157 posts)I'm just telling you what I experienced from vaping for 2 years. I went back to smoking a pipe and am having no problems.
yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)I love pipes!
it TAKES too long to roll papers, besides, I don't trust papers...its something I am breathing in and I have no idea what the papers are made from, most likely wood. So...I smoke it from a pipe... or if I could afford it, a bong!
Mosby
(16,159 posts)The cheap ones are wood pulp.
I like that pot is much stronger these days because you don't have to smoke as much, I just use a small brass pipe.
yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)Juju and I have the same pipe...but they are not hard to find, and Hey! This is San Francisco full of head shops! As The Jefferson Airplane sang, feed your head!
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Brainfodder
(6,423 posts)I tried vape carts and even spent a hundy on a dried flower vaporizer, that doesn't burn the flower at all.
Results, both were even harsher to my throat.
One required minimum .25g used/packed in it to work, that is bad for me, my typical dose is .05/gram to .1/gram, the weight of strains varies greatly.
Back to flower and there I stay.
I use the tested THC percentage as a guide to how much to use, & adapt to my needs!
Dear all, your mileage WILL vary and just be slow and cautious to win the race, some of you won't handle it, kinda like skydiving?
Edibles were not for me either, back to flower and there I stay.
superpatriotman
(6,232 posts)Except vague theories.
Vaping helped me and my wife quit smoking. That alone saved our lives.
Ive never experienced lung or breathing problems while vaping, on the contrary, I am now able to exercise, run and do other physical activities I could not do when I smoked cigarettes.
Vaping should be used to help smokers quit, and it should be legal to sell products as such.
Clash City Rocker
(3,379 posts)See how silly that argument is?
donkeypoofed
(2,187 posts)Mariana
(14,847 posts)All they know is that the person who died vaped sometime before he got sick. They very clearly say they don't know why that person got sick and died.
shanti
(21,670 posts)if one has been using vape cartridges for a couple of years with no problems, should one be worried? This would be THC vape cartridges purchased from legal dispensaries. Packaged and sealed.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)That and the unregulated tobacco vape products sold in smoke shops.
As far as I can tell, the culprit is additives like Vitamin E. Vitamin E is good for you when you eat it, or when you put it on your skin. It is not good for you when it goes in your lungs.
I'm just hoping we don't hit too much of a moral panic and get all ban-happy. I too use cannabis vapes. Get your vapes from a legal and licensed dispensary, and you should be OK.
Granted, vaping isn't good for you, but it's a hell of a lot less bad for you (I'm talking 95% less bad) than smoking. Weed or tobacco. I mean, we're talking a few hundred people with illness, a single-digit number of deaths, due to sketchy additives, vs. the tens of thousands who routinely die every year from tobacco smoking-related illnesses.
shanti
(21,670 posts)It's not like there aren't any alternatives. Guess I'll just wait until they get this cart thing sorted. In the meantime, it's back to flower, edibles or dabs.
My sister got off ciggies using vapes, so yes, they do have some value. Glad I never took up the nicotine habit...
Mariana
(14,847 posts)and they're been pretty forthright about saying so - unlike some of the headline writers for these stories, who seem to be *trying* to mislead the readers. They found one ingredient/contaminant that many of the suspect vapes have in common, but they aren't asserting that is what caused the illnesses and deaths. Illegal vapes purchased from drug dealers could contain literally anything.
yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)Last year a guy in the UK bought a vape, took it out to his car to smoke it and died when the battery exploded in his face. Why it exploded? bad battery? Who knows, but I won't use them any longer, no thanks.
And this...
A man dies after his e-cigarette explodes in his face
(CNN)A Texas man died of a massive stroke after the e-cigarette he was using exploded and tore his carotid artery.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office says that William Brown died in a Fort Worth hospital on January 29 -- just weeks shy of his 25th birthday. The death certificate says he died from cerebral infarction and herniation after debris from the exploding vape pen dissected his left carotid artery.
The explosion reportedly happened on January 27, in the parking lot of a store that sells smoking and vaping supplies.
The manager of Smoke and Vape DZ told CNN affiliate KTVT that he called an ambulance after the explosion.
Brown had gone into the shop to ask for help using his vape pen, but did not buy anything, according to KTVT. The shop said they don't sell that brand of vape pen.
Brown was rushed to the hospital and his family told KTVT that he was put into a medically-induced coma and that x-rays showed that part of the e-cigarette was lodged in his throat.
more..
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/05/health/exploding-vape-pen-death-trnd/index.html
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)dangerous. The batteries have fail safes installed in them now but nothing works 100% of the time in this world.
Mariana
(14,847 posts)reports that during the years 2012-2016, smoking materials caused an estimated 18,100 structure fires annually. Those fires killed an average of 590 people per year, and injured 1,130.
https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Smoking-Materials
yuiyoshida
(41,759 posts)Pipe check!
Cannabis Bud check!
fire lighter, or Matches, Check!
Juju told me she is going to totally switch over to Protabs...
Which is okay but its expensive, My alternative is Chocolate
I keep a whole bar in the freezer just for a time when its hard to smoke.. but like I said
I try to keep it simple. I have two vapes that I will probaby throw out.. they may never explode in my face, but there is always that possibility it could happen some day... i just
don't want to go through that... so ... I will keep it simple!
Runningdawg
(4,494 posts)However, I know have a condition, that now makes smoking medicinal. I have a non-malignant, inoperable, abdominal tumor, together with scar tissue, adhesions and FOUR different types of hernias.
At times the pain is severe. Literally drop you to your knees make you puke and piss your pants, severe. I would scream, but can't get enough air in to do even that. The few times it has happened in public I have been horribly embarrassed by having bystanders call 911. Luckily the worst spells only last (at this point) 15-30 minutes. Barely time for any type of pain pill to take effect, so I am NOT going there.
Short of mainlining an opioid which I wouldn't even be able to do myself during one of these spells, vaping 92% THC is the ONLY relief.
Take that away and eventually I AM going to reach for a gun to stop the pain for good.
shanti
(21,670 posts)and often the only thing that helps it.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)HacknWack
(8 posts)WADR We are going all out from both sides to either eliminate or allow vaping. All the numbers captured come from very limited and recent data.
Why can't we unify under the umbrella that all aspects of vaping are still under research. That all users are 'guinea-humans' being evaluated and studied. After all - humans have been smoking bud for a hundred + years and we're only recently isolating both benefits and drawbacks. It's a largely unregulated industry and some of the same outcries are coming forth.
The fact is we cannot possibly know with any level of certainty whether vaping is pure evil, truly beneficial, or somewhere in between ... and to whom ... and under what circumstances ... and using which vaping technology ... and using what vaping ingredients ... ad infinitum.
As long as users accept the fat that they are part of massive experiments - some scientific, some medical, some political, and some whose purpose is simply to validate their use no matter what - just like the tobacco and alcohol industries have done and are doing to protect their industry.
Maybe the industry could establish a registry whereby users must sign an agreement much like those used when people volunteer for medical research. at the very least the FDA should black label vape products the same way they do tobacco and many OTC medications.
It would remove culpability of the vaping product manufacturers and it would enlighten users to that fact that their use is an experiment that will not come to fruition for decades. It would force users to take responsibility for their own actions - just like the tobacco and alcohol industry.