The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning asking consumers to stop using vaping products with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The FDA urges consumers to stop using THC vaping products as they continue to investigate vaping-related lung injuries and deaths. FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless argued that the ongoing outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries highlights the need "to gather critical information and provide consumers with actionable information to help best protect themselves and their loved ones."
In the statement, Sharpless claimed: “We're strengthening our message to the public in an updated consumer alert stating that they should not use vaping products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.”
He also stated: "Additionally, consumers who choose to use any vaping products should not modify or add any substances such as THC or other oils to products purchased in stores and should not purchase any vaping products, including those containing THC, off the street or from other illicit channels," he said, adding that "according to recent findings, most of the patients impacted by these illnesses reported using THC-containing products, suggesting THC products are playing a role in the these illnesses."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 1,080 cases of lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping in 48 states and the US Virgin Islands. Additionally, there have been 21 confirmed deaths from 18 states, including 2 cases each from California, Kansas and Oregon.
CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat stated in a briefing: "We now have information for 578 patients with information on substances used in e-cigarette or vaping products in the three months before symptom onset.”
She pointed out that while the cause of the outbreak is yet to be determined, they “found that about 78% reported using THC containing products”. She said: “This is a critical issue."
In response to the crisis, several states have issued a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, including New York.
