Vape users have been in the national spotlight recently, mostly due to the mysterious lung illnesses that many have reported in recent times. To date, there are over 1,000 reported cases and 26 confirmed deaths from the vape illness outbreak.
This is serious enough to have caught the attention of the CDC and other healthcare and regulatory agencies. The main goal is to try and find the cause behind these illnesses, especially since these seem to be a recent development. There’s still no clear answer, but researchers have narrowed it down to a few suspect chemicals.
Possible Culprits in the Vape Lung Illness Epidemic
Vitamin E: While generally harmless to ingest, vitamin E is used in oil form to pad out or thicken vape oils. In this form, it can be dangerous to inhale as it can clog up your lungs and lead to symptoms that are similar to those seen in victims of the mysterious vape lung illnesses.
Heavy metals: Some researchers think the oil isn’t the main culprit, but rather all the other elements involved in heating up the oil. Many vaporizers are unbranded and made cheaply abroad. Cheap materials, poorly-made batteries, and other suspect components are problematic on their own. Add to this the fact that users are heating their vapes and inhaling whatever comes off these cheap components, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Researchers have found dangerous heavy metals in most cheap brands of vapes. When heated, they can cause serious lung damage and other health problems.
Cyanide: Myclobutanil, a common vape additive, actually turns to cyanide when heated up. While researchers have confirmed whether vape users are exposed to enough cyanide to be a potential hazard, this is still a major red flag that warrants further investigation.
Consult with a Personal Injury Attorney in CA Today
As you can see, the research into vapes is still in the early stages. Nonetheless, many regulatory agencies and governments are working fast to make laws and penalize those who expose customers to hazardous materials.
Have you or a loved one been harmed by vape use, or think your long-term illness is related to them? If so, you should take the time to check in with a personal injury attorney to explore your options. The fact is, exposure to these risks is not on the consumer but rather on those who are pushing these products on a commercial basis.
Schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney today. Call us at the Law Offices of Dean Petrulakis at (209) 528-0404 to book yours today.
