E-cigarettes and vapes are linked to an outbreak of severe lung disease that has killed at least 50 people and injured more than 2,400 others. Furthermore, exploding batteries have caused several deaths and hundreds of injuries.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting e-cigarette induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with lung damage after vaping, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
UPDATE: 1st Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against JUUL
In October 2019, a grieving mother filed the first wrongful death lawsuit against JUUL Labs after her 18 year-old son died in his sleep. She blames his death on breathing complications due to his “intense addiction” to JUUL vapes.
FDA: “Stop Using THC Vaping Products”
In October 2019, the FDA warned the public to stop using THC vape products, as well as any vaping products off the street, after more than 2,000 reports of lung injuries and 42 deaths nationwide.
FDA Issues Warning for Marijuana/THC Vape Products
The FDA is warning consumers not to use vape products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC, a psychoactive component of the marijuana plant). Most of the samples of THC vape products also contained “significant amounts of vitamin E acetate,” according to the FDA.
Vape Lung Disease Linked to Vitamin E in Cannabis Products
FDA investigators have linked a recent outbreak of lung injuries to a contaminant, Vitamin E, in the oil of some marijuana vaping products. Vitamin E was found in nearly all cannabis samples from people who recently fell ill in New York. According to the CDC, Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive, most notably as a thickening agent in THC-containing vape products.
What is the Problem?
Vitamin E may sound harmless, but experts say it may be hazardous when inhaled. The oil-like properties of vitamin E may be associated with breathing problems that many people have reported after vaping, such as cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. In one case, 50% of the vape cartridge was Vitamin E.
Vape Lung Injuries Reported in All 50 States
As of December 10, 2019, a total of 2,409 people have been hospitalized with lung injuries related to vaping in all 50 states, including 52 people who died, according to the CDC.
One shocking X-ray showed a boy’s lungs coated in what looks like bacon grease as a result of vaping. It is actually Vitamin E acetate, an oily substance that is commonly used as a thickener in vape liquids.
No single product is linked to all of the cases, but many victims said they used e-cigarette products with cannabis (THC). It is possible that these products were contaminated with Vitamin E acetate, an oil-like substance that can trigger severe lung damage.
Symptoms of Vaping Lung Disease
- cough
- shortness of breath
- fatigue that worsened rapidly
- fever
- chest pain
- nausea
- diarrhea
FDA Investigates 127 Reports of Seizures Linked to Vaping
The FDA is investigating 127 reports of people who had seizures after vaping. Seizures and convulsions are a known side effect of nicotine toxicity. The seizures have been reported after a few puffs or up to 1 day after using e-cigarettes, according to the FDA.
E-Cigarette Side Effects
- Popcorn Lung
- Bronchiolitis obliterans
- Fixed airway obstruction
- Chronic bronchitis
- Asthma
- Seizures
- Diseases of the small airway
- Breathing problems
- And more
What is an E-Cigarette?
E-cigarettes (also known as “vapes”) are a revolutionary smoking device. Instead of burning tobacco using a flame, e-cigarettes use a battery-powered heating element to vaporize liquid nicotine. The first e-cigarettes were introduced in the early 2000s and mimicked the appearance of traditional cigarettes. In 2007, e-cigarettes hit mainstream with new designs, high-capacity batteries, and refillable liquid cartridges in dozens of flavors.
What is Diacetyl?
Diacetyl is a chemical flavoring that is commonly used in e-cigarette flavors like fruit, candy, and alcohol. Diacetyl is also used in many other types of artificial flavorings, including butter flavors in microwave popcorn. Breathing diacetyl is associated with the lung disease “Popcorn Lung,” also known as bronchiolitis obliterans.
What is Popcorn Lung?
In 2004, several workers at a Missouri popcorn plant were diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans, a chronic lung disease that became known as Popcorn Lung.
Popcorn Lung is an incurable lung disease that occurs when tiny air sacs inside the lungs are permanently scarred, which makes it hard to breathe. The symptoms may include:
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath on exertion
- Wheezing
- Inflammation
- Narrowing of the airways
- Scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs
- Fatigue
CDC: E-Cigarette Use Spikes Among Children
The CDC has reported that the number of American children (middle-schoolers in grades 6-8) who have ever tried e-cigarettes doubled from 2011 to 2012, from 3.3% to 6.8%.
Many critics of e-cigarettes fear that they are a “path to addiction” for the next generation, with appealing flavors like bubble gum, cola, cherry, and chocolate. According to the CDC:
“This is a serious concern because the overall impact of e-cigarette use on public health remains uncertain. In youths, concerns include the potential negative impact of nicotine on adolescent brain development, as well as the risk for nicotine addiction and initiation of the use of conventional cigarettes or other tobacco products.”
Do E-Cigarettes Contain Toxic Ingredients?
Proponents of e-cigarettes say they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes because they contain fewer toxic chemicals. However, you might be surprised at what has been found in “e-juice.” In 2009, the FDA published an analysis of 18 samples of NJOY and Smoking Everywhere in various flavors and strengths, and found:
- One cartridge contained diethylene glycol, an ingredient in antifreeze that is toxic to humans.
- Half of the samples contained tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are human carcinogens.
- Most samples contained anabasine, myosmine, and β-nicotyrine — tobacco-specific impurities that are suspected of being harmful to humans.
- All but one cartridge labeled as “no nicotine” actually had low levels of nicotine.
- Three different electronic cigarette cartridges with the same label were tested and each cartridge emitted a markedly different amount of nicotine with each puff. The nicotine levels per puff ranged from 26.8-43.2 mcg of nicotine per 100 mL puff.
- One high-nicotine cartridge delivered twice as much nicotine to users when the vapor from that electronic cigarette brand was inhaled than was delivered by a sample of the nicotine inhalation product (used as a control) approved by FDA for use as a smoking cessation aid.
Do I have an E-Cigarette Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting e-cigarette induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with lung damage after vaping, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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