KUALA LUMPUR, August 30 — United States health authorities are looking at the role of contaminants, or counterfeit substances, as a possible cause in vaping-related lung illnesses that have sickened up to possibly 354 people in 29 states.
The Washington Post reported that health officials were focusing on adulterants in vaping products that supposedly have THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana that produces a high, and adulterants in nicotine vaping products.
The investigation is “starting to point to what solvents are being used, and that can vary a lot” — especially in counterfeit or black-market products, including potentially mislabeled solvents that consumers buy themselves to make do-it-yourself “home brews,” an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is heading the investigation, was quoted saying.
US officials reportedly urged Americans who use e-cigarettes to quit vaping until the cause of the lung illnesses is identified.
One person in Illinois recently died in hospital from a severe lung disease after vaping.
