What does Vaping Do to Your Body?

Vaping & Lung Illness

Submitted By: Elidia Adams-Loya, Health Promotion & Education Specialist, NATIVE Tobacco Project United Indian Health Services, Inc.

What does vaping do to your body? A sudden and severe lung illness from vaping has affected over a thousand people in the US, becoming a public health crisis. Nearly all patients have been hospitalized, receiving treatments including medically induced comas, breathing machines, and other life support measures. Patients experience a range of warning signs before going to the hospital. Doctors have treated patients with many different symptoms, from trouble breathing to lung damage that looks like chemical burns. The exact cause of the outbreak is unknown, but here’s what we do know:

• 2,807 cases of vaping lung illnesses are reported so far, across 50 states, including more than 200 cases in California. • 68 vaping deaths have been confirmed nationwide, including four in California. • Products containing Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), especially those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (for example, friends, family members, or illegal dealers) are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak. However, the liquids in vape devices associated with the lung illness include nicotine,

THC, and Cannabidiol (CBD). Many people say they vape both cannabis and nicotine. • A third of the patients need breathing machines to keep them alive. • Two-thirds are between 18-34 years old and most are men. People with lung damage from vaping usually show signs that start a few days to a few weeks before they go see a doctor. All people hospitalized had some type of breathing problem, but many people also have other symptoms. The warning signs reported by those affected are: • Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain • Nausea, throwing up, stomach pain, or diarrhea • Fatigue, fever, or unexplained weight loss If you vape and are experiencing any of these symptoms, please see a doctor. Keep in mind, you don’t have to be a long-time user in order to develop a lung illness. New users have been affected as well. Source: flavorshookkids.org