Please Don’t Die –
Sept. 6, 2019 – Many chemicals and additives are present in e-cigarettes, according to officials on the call. They do not know what chemicals, or combination of chemicals, could lead to getting sick and dying. The findings are preliminary, said Jennifer Layden, chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for the Illinois Department of Public Health where one of the confirmed deaths has occurred. She said an increase of cases began to appear in May and June, compared to the previous year, suggesting something new is happening. In Illinois, X-rays revealed abnormalities in patient lungs, and nearly all patients were hospitalized, Layden said.
It’s premature to know what is causing these illnesses, Meaney-Delman said, and that is why public health officials from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and local and state health departments “are working around the clock” to understand what is happening. So far, officials have collected more than 120 samples, and researchers in FDA laboratories are testing these samples for a broad range of chemicals, including nicotine, THC, opioids, poisons and toxins, said Mitch Zeller, who directs the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. He said “no one compound” has been tied to all of these illnesses.
