Vitamin E suspected in vaping-related diseases in the United States

A first track was finally discovered in the mystery of lung diseases that affected more than two hundred American vapers and caused two deaths: a vitamin E oil apparently added in cannabis refills sold on the black market.

Since the beginning of the summer, the American health authorities frantically sought the cause of the serious pulmonary diseases observed at 215 people at this stage: cough, chest pains, nausea, vomiting … Two people died, in August in Illinois and in July in Oregon.

New York State health authorities have just announced that they have found "A very high concentration of vitamin E acetate in almost all samples containing cannabis" and entrusted by the patients who presented themselves. Acetate is the chemical name of the molecule.

Vitamin E is a normally harmless supplement that can be bought as a capsule to swallow, or oil to apply to the skin.

"But do not heat it up and inhale it because it's an oil, and the lungs do not like heated oils and react badly"says Len Horovitz, a pulmonologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

Sold in the street, on the Internet

The substance was found in liquid refills sold in very colorful packaging under the name of Dank Vapes, a brand that apparently does not correspond to any legitimate business but is distributed on the street and on the Internet with some success.

In most cases, patients admitted to having vapoted refills of cannabis electronic cigarettes instead of nicotine. In the case of the death of Oregon, he had bought his product at a licensed cannabis clinic.

But liquids contain many ingredients other than THC, the psychoactive molecule of cannabis. There are also additives, diluents, aromas … Their effect on health when they are sprayed is still poorly studied.

As the industry is poorly regulated because the use of cannabis is illegal in some states and at the federal level, but allowed in others, manufacturers act with relative impunity, especially on the internet.

Federal authorities more cautious

Federal authorities are more cautious and have not yet concluded which ingredients in e-cigarettes are related to diseases. Their recommendation remains not to use street-bought products and, for young people and pregnant women, not to vapot at all.

"More information is needed to better understand the relationship between certain products or substances and diseases"replied Michael Felberbaum, a spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA laboratories are in possession of more than one hundred samples involved.

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Vitamin E suspected in vaping-related diseases in the United StatesOuest-France.fr

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