The vaping industry has taken a lot of backlash and fear-mongering in recent months, and if you have been following the news, then you’re probably aware of how much is being said. Hundreds of people across the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 29 have been hospitalized in vaping related issues. More than half a dozen of those people are dead as a result. It’s been said that these are related to acute-onset, vaping-related lung disease. The problems have also arisen due to cartridges laced with THC blowing up, as they’ve been tampered with.
The biggest question here is what’s being done to remedy these situations? There is a lot of misinformation out there and consumers are left unsure of what’s causing these illnesses. It’s important to know whether it’s safe to continue vaping with all of these stories flying around.
What is Causing These Hospitalizations?
There are plenty of reasons behind seemingly healthy vape users being hospitalized, and these include:
- Faulty cartridges
- Laced THC cartridges
- Vitamin E acetate in bootleg THC vape cartridges
Vitamin E is the most interesting, as it’s safe when applied topically or when ingested, but when it’s vaporized, it becomes dangerous. There have been enough investigations performed those show findings of synthetics cannabis compounds, like K2, in vape cartridges. This testing was through 30 suspicious products and ⅓ of the samples had synthetic cannabinoids added. It’s been theorized that these illnesses are related to the additives in certain flavors, too, and even just the combination of certain chemicals don’t mix well together.
There is likely not to be one specific culprit for all of the issues going on with the vape industry right now.
How Has This Happened So Suddenly?
People have been vaping for almost a decade, and now all of these illnesses have happened so quickly. It’s not necessarily new that this is happening, but it is becoming more and more common with people who are trying to replicate vape products getting it horribly wrong and only finding out after they sell their products online to unsuspecting buyers. The rise in cases means that people now have a real reason to be concerned. Theories are always floating about, from people trying to undercut and earn more money, to the tobacco industry taking advantage where they can.
What is Being Done to Protect Consumers?
There are plenty of new regulations being implemented to protect consumers and keep them safely vaping, and Michigan started that with a ban on flavored cigarettes and vaping products. The retailers carrying these products were given two weeks to remove them from the shelves. Massachusetts followed when a four-month ban was approved this year. Consumer protection is the most important thing to consider, as they are the ones who are purchasing the products. The experts at Ecigs International ensure that you are buying safe and reliable vape kits.
