The Vaping Illness Outbreak - Part 2
Update on the Vaping Illness Outbreak
Three weeks ago we posted about the vaping illness outbreak among vape users in the United States and promised patients that we’d continue to closely monitor the news. We’ve continued dialog with our cannabis partners to ensure we’re learning as much as we can to educate our patients.
According to the Center for Disease Control, since that post, at least 26 people have died and nearly 1,300 have fallen ill from the vaping illness outbreak. Officials are tentatively calling the illness “e-cigarette or vaping, product use associated lung injury” or “EVALI.”
The Food and Drug Association’s Center for Tobacco Products has begun testing more than 300 samples, including 79 nicotine-containing products and 225 THC-containing products. Although there has been speculation of sources including Vitamin E acetate, no definitive cause has been uncovered and finding the answer will take some time. According to Deputy Director of the CDC, Dr. Anne Schuchat, it may take several months and there could be multiple causes of EVALI. In the meantime, we will continue to provide patients with as much information as possible and our professional medical opinion during this situation.
Vaping in Maryland
We are continuing to stand firm in believing that both Maryland and the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission are doing their job in implementing some of the strictest testings in the country for all cannabis products, including vape pens. The EVALI issue lies with products that are not state-tested.
“As of now, 0 (zero) patients from the MD program have tested positive for EVALI. There are many signs that indicate the cause of EVALI to be from the harmful and poorly constructed hardware containing material such as lead,” CEO Anthony Darby stated. “Products from the black market include additives and all kinds of unknown ingredients. We know that the products we carry are top-notch and third-party tested.”
“We are proud to carry the brand names we do and put trust in their comprehensive policies and procedures. We strive to carry only the safest and high-quality products for our patients and take pride in working with the right partners. Many of these partners have issued statements of their own to continue to ensure patients of the safety of their products versus ones found on the black market,” Darby states.
In addition to our belief in our products, we believe it’s also important to remind patients of our medical suggestions for using vape pens.
Microdosing is Key
Vape pens provide many patients with a quick and simple way to administer cannabis. Vaping is fast-acting, easy to administer, mobile, and can be easier on the lungs, but vaping should not be a patient’s main method of administration unless necessary. We want to remind patients that microdosing is important with vape pens.
“For many of our patients, vaping is an attractive and simple way to administer cannabis. This method is viable for many users and we would like those users to be aware of the amount consumed when using these products,” Darby said.
We understand that our patients have preferences and questions when it comes to cannabis. Our patient consultants are always available to give recommendations and find a method that is the best for you.
What’s next?
We’d like our patients to have the confidence that we are a trusted source locally for education and news regarding the cannabis industry. Patient safety is a top priority at Peninsula Alternative Health, and with that comes a significant responsibility in executing top-notch training for our patient consultants and providing our patients with the most consistent and accurate health education.
We will continue to closely monitor the news surrounding EVALI and communicate with our cannabis partners so we can educate our patients.
If you are a patient that is experiencing any pneumonia-like symptoms and believe they are linked to vaping, please contact your medical provider immediately. These symptoms include the rapid onset of coughing, weight loss and significant difficulties of breathing.
What if I still have questions?
Please contact the team at Peninsula Alternative Health. We are here to help and available in person, email (contact@peninsulamd.com) and via phone (410-622-3661) to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
References https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/11/cdc-says-almost-all-vaping-illness-patients-end-up-hospitalized.html