Majority Of EVALI Patients Had Underlying Conditions
New research shows the majority of EVALI patients had underlying illnesses and medical conditions exacerbated by vaping on THC cut with Vitamin E acetate [VAE].
EVALI stands for E-cigarette or Vaping product use-Associated Lung Injury and should now be removed from all medical journals – it’s as simple as that.
The vape world knew within days of the first reported illnesses that nicotine based e-liquids were NOT to blame.
Instead everything pointed to contaminated cannabis cartridges bought from street drug dealers – read my article for more info and background: Vaping Is NOT About To Kill You – But Black-Market THC Cartridges Might .
These carts were found to be diluted with VAE causing the liquid to solidify in users lungs.
Last autumn saw the start of the ‘outbreak’ resulting in around 2,807 hospital cases and tragically 68 deaths – figures are based on last official count in February this year.
Now researchers at University of Texas Southwestern have found the vast majority of those taken ill – especially the teenagers – all had underlying medical conditions to both the stomach and lungs.
Intriguingly, the study found a high number of Hispanic females with known drug use was the highest group prone to contracting the ‘disease’.
Study author Devika Rao, M.D, a specialist pediatric pulmonologist said:
This is the first study on teens and EVALI from UT Southwestern, and one of the first in the country regarding clinical features of EVALI in the pediatric population.
We found that teenagers often presented with GI symptoms, which were just as frequent as respiratory symptoms.
In some cases, these teens had abdominal CT scans that ended up showing abnormalities in the lung, which was the first clue of lung injury.
It may be that in the adolescent population these groups are more vulnerable to risky behaviors than what was previously thought.
This serves as a reminder to clinicians that a teen with EVALI is not necessarily always going to be white and male.
And as we suspected, the vast majority of younger victims of EVALI, were reluctant to tell doctors, and I guess their parents, what they were vaping on…
As to if we’ll see this news in the mainstream media and so lifting the burden of guilt from e-cigarettes?
I highly doubt it.
Another Call To Ban Flavours In Canada
Almost 30 Alberta doctors are calling on the local government for an outright flavour ban – to protect the children…
Oh FFS…here we go again…
They say vaping poses a huge risk for youngsters and also wants to see nicotine levels reduced.
Part of the letter states:
If you believe that you have a political obligation to choose between pleasing adults and protecting children and youth, then your moral duty is obvious.
Children and youth cannot vote, are most affected for the longest time by your decisions and look to you for protection.
You stand in a fiduciary position with respect to children and youth and therefore owe them the highest moral standard in your behaviour toward them.
Phrases like ‘moral duty’ and posh words like fiduciary doesn’t make the argument any more valid – BTW fiduciary means a position of trust.
Doctors are most definitely in a position of trust and it would be nice if they actually looked at the real evidence rather than trusting on something they’ve read in a tabloid…
OOOoo slap my bitchy wrists 😉
Earlier this year the province introduced new legislation putting an age restriction on buying vape products – but that’s not enough for these ignorant health zealots.
Luckily the local government appears to be ready to reject the idea.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro said it was looking at a ‘balanced approach’:
We’re starting by aligning the restrictions on vaping with those for tobacco, because historically we’ve had success in reducing youth smoking.
We’ll co-ordinate with the federal government and monitor the evidence including youth vaping and smoking rates, and take further action if and as needed.
That’s not quite a “sod off” the law is perfectly fine, but close.
Let’s hope the doctor’s letter isn’t picked up by a politician or two looking for virtue signalling 15 minutes of fame…
India’s Vape Ban Equals Big Tobacco Profits and Death
The ban on vaping in India is creating profit for the Government and Big Tobacco and quite simply killing smokers.
India is home to a staggering 120 million smokers – and deaths of over 1 million people from lit tobacco related diseases is the norm – shocking statistics to say the least.
I pointed this out in the article: The India Vape Ban Is Nothing Short Of An Act Of Democide.
It’s almost a year since India banned e-cigarettes and this week the country’s leading vape advocate, Samrat Chowdhery, spoke at the Global Forum On Nicotine, and talked about the links between the Government of India and tobacco.
He pointed out quite rightly, that the government holds the lions share of lit tobacco products profits and this could be one of the reasons e-cigarettes were banned – no one like competition and this means there’s a definite conflict of interest.
Samrat – who is the director of the Association of Vapers India – told the GFN:
This got me to wonder why a country which would benefit the most from risk reduction so hastily ban it?
Why didn’t the government think that a million Indian lives lost every year to smoking were worth saving?
Given the lucrativeness of tobacco trade and the amount of tax revenue it generates, the state has always historically owned and operated this business.
While the western nations ceded control over the last century, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in Latin America and Asia, continue to partially or wholly-own tobacco companies.
State-owned tobacco companies behave like public sector units, which although also driven by profit just like the private sector, are notoriously resistant to change.
They see innovation as a threat and have the political means to stub it out to maintain the status quo.
This effect is manifest in the ongoing pushbacks against risk-reduction technologies in many Latin American and Asian nations, including India where the state owns nearly a third of the country’s cigarette monopoly.
…to resolve the smoking epidemic, the state should divest from the tobacco industry.
Removing benefits to the state from tobacco should in fact go further, by ensuring that sin tax is used only to reduce the sin and for controlling damage from it, and for no other purpose.
This would force a rethink of the problem, framing it in ways that actually help the world’s 1 billion tobacco users and removes incentives for strategies that do little to improve their lives or conditions while further alienating and punishing them.
Wise words – but sadly they appear to be falling on deaf ears.
As I said – the Government of India by banning e-cigarettes is causing more illnesses and deaths from smoking and that I’m afraid is the very definition of democide.
More on the GFN later.
It’s Vaping NOT COVID-19 Making Florida Kids Ill!
The COVID-19 ‘pandemic’ links to vaping has meant a lot of crazed uninformed doctors and politicians have crawled out of the woodwork, but Florida looks like becoming nut job central!
I reported last week the state’s Attorney General, Ashley Moody, was investigating vape companies, and now it seems she along with a local doctor, are experts in COVID-19.
Not only that, they say a sudden ‘rush’ of teenagers to local hospitals with the symptoms of the virus are actually vapers – and it’s vaping causing COVID-19 symptoms!
Oh my…
Dr. Benjamin Abo said:
For the most part, from [COVID-19] versus vaping, it’s a huge Venn diagram with a ton of overlapping.
A lot of lung issues, coughing, chest pain might be worse when they take a deep breath, that could easily be associated with vaping.
It’s not just the kids either.
Abo reckons he’s noticed an increase in vapers in their 20s and 30s testing positive for COVID-19 and he reckons that’s because they vape and have ‘weaker lungs’:
I feel anecdotally that I am seeing a bigger flux of 20s and 30s.
They are more susceptible to lung infection.
I call absolute and total bollox on that one…’anecdotally’ a nice word for – f***ed if I know but I ‘read it somewhere‘.
The longest EVER study into vaping and lung health shows if anything vapers lungs are MUCH healthier and therefore have reduced or can fight off viruses quickly.
That 3.5 year long study by Professor Riccardo Polosa concluded:
…this study did not demonstrate any health concerns associated with long-term use of EC in relatively young users who did not also smoke tobacco.
More scare stories centered around vaping based on NO evidence, means more smokers less likely to quit smoking and switch to the healthier e-cigarette – it’s that simple.
Incidentally, the powers that be in Florida are calling for a state wide flavour ban.
The Florida Smoke Free Association is calling on all vapers to get involved to fight off the proposal – use the link to find out more.
JUUL’s Growth Stutter – Be Patient Says CEO
The CEO of seemingly constant under fire vape company JUUL, says its investors need to be ‘patient’ as its growth stalls.
The controversial company has seen a major sea change this last 12 months and is swamped by multiple law suits.
It has laid off over 1,500 of its staff – pulled out of some European countries, and has been on a money raising campaign for the last couple of months.
Everything now really depends on its submission to the PMTA process – read my article from July last year for more info: Vaping In America Faces Total Devastation As Anti-Vape Legislation Is Moved Forward.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said:
We’ve got a long way to go…but it’s worth it.
The opportunity for us and our company to eliminate combustible cigarettes, it’s historic.
And then the financial opportunity to do that, for our shareholders, is significant.
We’re going to continue to convert adult smokers.
Perhaps the pace of growth may be different than we once thought it would be.
I take a very long-term view.
Given JUUL’s notoriety in the USA it’s going to be extremely interesting to see if it does indeed get the PMTA required to continue selling it’s product in the USA.
Whilst the granting of a PMTA shouldn’t be down to politics, one can’t help wondering if the company’s reputation might have some kind of ‘influence’.
Global Forum On Nicotine Catch Up
Organizers of this year’s Global Forum On Nicotine say they’re thrilled by the number of people that tuned in.
It’s estimated well over 3,000 viewers tuned in to watch all or some of the speeches on advocacy from the world’s leading experts.
Checkout all the GFN 20 videos here.
If you missed any or all of the extremely informative talks they’re all on line now and well worth dipping into.
Due to the ‘pandemic’ this years event was held online and it’s hoped it will be back at it’s usual Warsaw venue next June.
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More vaping news on Wednesday!
And in case you missed it…do check out the very interesting video interview with vape advocate Clive Bates on the future of the TPD review.
