HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Health recently confirmed two additional cases of lung injury related to the use of e-cigarette or vaping products and has received other reports for investigation.
The finding brings the current number of confirmed cases in the state to four, with one individual confirmed in each county. Two of the individuals are adolescents and two are adults. All were hospitalized and have recovered.
The department continues to advise everyone to stop vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current nationwide investigations are complete.
“E-cigarettes and vaping products are not safe,” said Director of Health Bruce Anderson. “The public should refrain from using these products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine or THC.”
As of Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports 2,172 confirmed and probable lung injury cases associated with use of e-cigarettes or vaping products reported by 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This includes 42 deaths confirmed in 24 states and the District of Columbia.
FDA and state health laboratories have detected vitamin E acetate (a synthetic form of vitamin E) in a sample of vaping fluids also containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active compound in marijuana. In a sample of lung fluid from 29 ill patients:
All 29 were positive for vitamin E acetate.
Twenty or 69 percent of these patients stated they were vaping marijuana.
Other patients using nicotine, or a combination of nicotine and THC have also developed symptoms.
Although there may be a link between THC and vitamin E, the exact cause of the vaping injury and deaths is unknown.
DOH recommends that persons should not use e-cigarettes of any kind (marijuana or nicotine) and especially those containing vitamin E acetate. People should be concerned about using vaping products containing THC, particularly those obtained from informal sources such as friends or family, or from the illicit market, where product ingredients are unknown or can be highly variable. Until the relationship of vitamin E acetate and lung health is better characterized, it is important that vitamin E acetate not be added to e-cigarette or vaping products.
DOH has issued an updated Medical Advisory to physicians to assist in identifying patients who may have lung injury related to e-cigarettes and vaping. New tools for clinicians are available online at https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/vaping-resources-for-clinicians/.