Vaping injury reports inconclusive — groups

Vitamin E acetate “might be used as an additive, most notably as a thickening agent in THC-containing e-cigarettes. Roman prospero @tribunephl_RRP

E-cigarette groups in the country called for sobriety in the midst of alarming statements from government officials bent on banning vaping products following the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses in the United States.

“Let’s face it. Vaping is not completely safe but it is a much better alternative to smoking. If we ban e-cigarettes, thousands of vapers might go back to cigarettes,” The group Vapers PH said in a statement.

Vaping products have been found to contain 90 to 95 percent less toxins than that found in cigarette smoke.

The group said reports of a 16-year old girl from Central Visayas being the country’s first vaping-injury patient is not conclusive. Even the Department of Health said it will take weeks and several more tests before it may be concluded that the victim suffered from e-cigarette related lung-infection.

The Vapers PH and the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) cited the breakthrough report of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which found vitamin E acetate “as the chemical of concern” found in the lung fluids of 29 people who fell seriously ill or died in the outbreak in the United States.

The CDC report, although not yet final, said vitamin E acetate “might be used as an additive, most notably as a thickening agent in THC-containing e-cigarettes. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is a crystalline compound that is the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis or marijuana.

“The CDC breakthrough report provides much-needed answers and clarity to the lung disease epidemic in the US. With the report’s findings, ‘misinformed groups’ should immediately stop blaming legal vaping products for this unfortunate situation. Spreading misinformation will dissuade smokers looking to quit from switching to vaping and current vapers going back to smoking cigarettes,” said Mark Czerwin Erana, The Vapers PH President.

In its report, the CDC said “people should not use e-cigarettes, or vaping products that contain THC, particularly from informal sources like friends or family or in-person or online dealers.” In addition, the CDC said “people should not add any substance to e-cigarette or vaping products that are not intended by the manufacturer, including products purchased through retail establishments.”

Both The Vapers PH and CAPHRA cited the lack of regulation that led to the outbreak in the US. In comparison, they said there is no major report in the United Kingdom where e-cigarette use is regulated with more and more smokers switching to regulated vape products.