The outbreak of vaping-related illness—known as EVALI—sickened thousands and killed 68 people, leading to investigations into the safety and marketing of e-cigarettes and vaping products, especially those targeted to young people. The CDC eventually stopped tracking the disease, but reports now suggest EVALI is still with us—and might be confused with symptoms of COVID-19.
A report says 8 new EVALI cases have emerged in California, with all the victims between 18 and 25 years old and all having vaped both nicotine and THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Doctors say there might be more cases that were missed due to the corona virus, which means the dangers of vaping and flavored e-cigarettes are still present. The outbreak is not surprising, given the surge in e-cigarette use among young Californians, according to a UCLA study. That found the use of pot and e-cigs jumped dramatically between 2017 and 2018, with vaping up nearly 50 percent and marijuana 19 percent.
Researchers said one-third of young adults in California, about 1.7 million people, were currently using one, or sometimes, more of the products, especially flavored products. These troubling findings support further measures to curb not only the sale of flavored e-cigarettes but all vaping products that still pose great risks to public health.