Is Vitamin E Oil Behind the Vaping Crisis?
Over the past few weeks, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been investigating hundreds of mysterious, vaping-related lung ailments across the country. Nearly 450 hospital cases in 33 states have been linked to vaping, while on Friday it was reported that a man in Indiana had died after exhibiting severe symptoms of lung illness, making him the third such person to succumb to vaping-related illness. On Friday, the CDC advised the public to refrain from using any e-cigarette — cannabis, nicotine, or otherwise — authorities are able to pin down what is making people sick.
Health officials have been stupefied by the trend, with healthy young people presenting at emergency rooms with symptoms mimicking severe lung illnesses like pneumonia. And as Rolling Stone previously reported, many have questioned whether the flourishing black market of bootleg THC cartridges may be behind the trend, as opposed to traditional e-cigarettes. But a recent report from the New York State Health Department sheds further light on this hypothesis. On Thursday, the health department said lab tests showed that nearly all of the cannabis products tested for vitamin E acetate, the oil derived from vitamin E that is most often found in supplements and skin creams.
While the FDA says it is too early to tell whether vitamin E acetate was the culprit in other cases across the country, a spokesperson for the agency said it was testing more than 100 products from other states for potential contaminants, including vitamin E acetate. In a press release, New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker encouraged caution, writing, “We urge the public to be vigilant about any vaping products that they or any family members may be using and to immediately contact their health care provider if they develop any unusual symptoms. Vaping of unknown substances is dangerous, and we continue to explore all options to combat this public health issue.”
A common substance added to facial moisturizers or taken independently as a supplement, vitamin E is not known to be harmful independently. But if inhaled, oils like vitamin E can cause lipoid pneumonitis, a rare condition that results from fat particles being ingested via the lungs, as Dr. Melodi Pirzada, chief of pediatric pulmonology at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Long Island, previously told Rolling Stone. Symptoms of lipid pneumonitis include chest pain, coughing, and difficulty breathing, which have been reported by many patients who have reported having used THC cartridges.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/thc-carts-vitamin-e-oil-880917/
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