Pubdate: Sat, 28 Sep 2019
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Talal Ansari

THC PRODUCTS TIED TO ILLNESSES

More than three-quarters of people who have developed severe lung
illness after vaping reported using THC-containing products, a new
report found, as officials continue to piece together a picture of the 
mysterious disease.

The new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 
76.9% of the 514 patients studied used products containing THC, the 
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in the month preceding the onset 
of symptoms. More than half of the patients reported using 
nicotine-containing products, while 36% said they only used of products 
with THC and 16% reported exclusive use of
nicotine-containing products.

The median age of patients was 23 years old, and 69% were male, the CDC 
said.

While cases of vaping-related illness were reported as early as March, 
the number began rising in July. Almost all patients have had to be 
hospitalized.

On Thursday, the CDC said the number of confirmed or probable cases of 
vaping-related illness has risen to 805 across 46 states and one U.S. 
territory. California, Texas, Wisconsin and Illinois have been most 
affected, with between 50 and 99 cases each.

The death toll from the illness now stands at 14, with new fatalities 
reported in North Carolina and Oregon later Thursday. Mississippi, 
Georgia and Florida all reported their first deaths linked to vaping 
this week.

"We are in the midst of a complex investigation that spans nearly all 
states, that involves serious life-threatening diseases in young 
people," Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, said 
Friday. "We don't want to see any more vaping-related illnesses."

For over a month now, federal and state officials have been trying to 
zero in on exactly what is causing the pneumonialike illnesses.

A separate CDC report released Friday focusing on patients from
Illinois and Wisconsin said 66% of THC vapers became ill after using 
cartridges sold under the name Dank Vapes.

"Dank Vapes appears to be the most prominent in a class of largely
counterfeit brands, with common packaging that is easily available
online and that is used by distributors to market THC-containing
cartridges with no obvious centralized production or distribution," 
health officials said.

There is no registered company named Dank Vapes, but packaging and
merchandise using the name are common in the vaping community.
Requests for comment from a company that sells Dank Vapes cartridges 
weren't returned.

Health officials noted that no one brand was cited by all
patients.

Authorities have urged people to stop using electronic cigarettes and 
other vaping products while they continue to investigate the illness.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Trump administration recently 
said they would pull e-cigarette flavored products off the market.

On Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order
directing state health officials to place an emergency ban on flavored 
vaping products. Michigan and New York state are banning flavored 
e-cigarettes, while Massachusetts this week ordered a four-month ban on 
the sale of all e-cigarettes and marijuana vaping products.
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MAP posted-by: Matt