British authorities are urging e-cigarette users not to worry about the lung disease that affected American road users.
After up to 450 people fell ill with a serious lung disease linked to vaping THC in the US, e-cigarette users have been urged to be careful about what they fill their tanks with.
Vaping is a popular method of quitting smoking in the UK and the UK's Department of Health (PHE) is actively encouraging smokers to switch from analogue cigarettes to e-cigarettes, arguing that by doing so, smokers reduce the risk of harm by 95% to themselves and almost entirely to those around them.
With the outbreak in the US, several health organisations, including PHE, have now announced that regular e-cigarette users are not at risk.
- Vaping with regular e-juices has been shown to be safe. All known evidence points to uncontrolled e-liquids containing marijuana (THC oils) as the cause of the disease. In particular, the substance 'tocopherol acetate' (vitamin E) appears to be the culprit," public health scientist Professor Linda Bauld told the paper. The Guardian.
Michael Dockrell, head of the Department of Health's Tobacco Control Division, is also concerned about lung disease affecting British road users.
- Unlike the US, we have a comprehensive control system to ensure the quality and safety of e-cigarettes," he told The Guardian.
In the UK, all e-juice sold must first be registered with the authorities. Anyone who is unsure about a product can easily check whether it is registered.
- "If a product does not work as intended or if a road user experiences unwanted side effects, the user can report this to the relevant authority," says Mr Dockrell.
Stefan Mathisson
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