# Vaping saves lives - regulation should keep that in mind **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201 "2017-10-18T07:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/142 "2019-08-29T23:23:57Z")
[City of Milwaukee urges everyone who lives there to stop vaping immediately](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/29/health/milwaukee-stop-vaping-trnd/index.html) > [@](#): > > The city of Milwaukee issued a stern warning to residents: Stop vaping immediately. > The advisory came after 16 people were hospitalized with chemical pneumonia, a severe illness that causes lung inflammation, the Milwaukee health department said. > All of them reported vaping or “dabbing” – inhaling potent marijuana products – before they were hospitalized, the department said. > The link between vaping and respiratory illness isn’t fully understood, officials said, but in the meantime, they’re advising residents to stop using vapes, e-cigarettes and liquid THC products. [North Carolina sues 8 e-cigarette companies, alleging marketing to children](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/27/health/ecigarette-north-carolina-lawsuit-bn/index.html) > [@](#): > > North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein filed eight lawsuits against eight separate e-cigarette companies on Tuesday, alleging that the companies are “unlawfully targeting children” and not requiring appropriate age verification when selling products. > The companies included in the complaints are Beard Vape, Direct eLiquid, Electric Lotus, Electric Tobacconist, Eonsmoke, Juice Man, Tinted Brew and VapeCo, Stein said during a media conference call with reporters on Tuesday. > “There is a vaping epidemic among high schoolers and middle schoolers in North Carolina and the United States,” he said. “I, as attorney general of North Carolina, refuse to stand by as e-cigarette companies entice thousands of children to use their products.” ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/143 "2019-08-29T23:28:25Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > The advisory came after 16 people were hospitalized with chemical pneumonia, a severe illness that causes lung inflammation, the Milwaukee health department said. > > All of them reported vaping or “dabbing” – inhaling potent marijuana products – before they were hospitalized, the department said. > > The link between vaping and respiratory illness isn’t fully understood, officials said, but in the meantime, they’re advising residents to stop using vapes, e-cigarettes and liquid THC products. Sounds to me like somebody may not have understood the difference between vegetable oil and vegetable glycerin. Try to vape Wesson, and you’re likely to wind up with lipid pneumonia. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/144 "2019-08-29T23:33:41Z")
Idk if this has been posted yet but it seems relevant to this discussion. 8"][https://amp.businessinsider.com/juul-ceo-dont-vape-long-term-effects-unknown-2019-8](https://amp.businessinsider.com/juul-ceo-dont-vape-long-term-effects-unknown-2019-8) The CEO of JUUL has issued a warning: “Don’t vape” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/145 "2019-08-29T23:35:11Z")
I may have smoked my first cigarette so that some boy would think I was cool. But I smoked the second one–and all the ones after that because I liked life more when I had a little nicotine in my blood. I liked ME better. Certainly the desire to “look cool” is part of the motivation to consume drugs. But they also feel good. People, including children, like feeling good. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/146 "2019-08-30T12:06:46Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > The CEO of JUUL has issued a warning: “Don’t vape” > [@linked story](#): > > Juul is partially owned by Altria, the tobacco giant behind Marlboro. Juul and Altria’s bottom line suffers if only smokers use their products. Such pious warnings obscure the delight executives must feel at knowing a new generation of nicotine addicts is emerging. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/147 "2019-08-30T17:30:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It looked to me that’s exactly what Sailboat was implying. > > Oh, and for the record, I dont vape. Or smoke, Nope. I’m implying that vaping should not be regarded as a free magic bullet. In fact, it should be stopped. I am against all smoking because it (the addictive, carcinogenic nicotine) gets in my lungs as well. Nicotine addicts can use a patch that won’t affect passers-by. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/148 "2019-08-30T18:37:00Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > carcinogenic nicotine Got a cite for that? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/149 "2019-08-31T14:36:01Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Got a cite for that? "_Several lines of evidence indicate that nicotine may contribute to the development of cancer. Evidence from experimental in vitro studies on cell cultures, in vivo studies on rodents as well as studies on humans inclusive of epidemiological studies indicate that nicotine itself, independent of other tobacco constituents, may stimulate a number of effects of importance in cancer development."_ > **[Nicotine: Carcinogenicity and Effects on Response to Cancer Treatment – A Review](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553893/)** > > Tobacco use is considered the single most important man-made cause of cancer that can be avoided. The evidence that nicotine is involved in cancer development is reviewed and discussed in this paper. Both tobacco smoke and tobacco products for oral... > **[Smoking-cessation products that contain nicotine may not be safest way to...](https://news.vt.edu/articles/2014/06/061214-vbi-nicotine.html)** > > Virginia Bioinformatics researchers are discovering that nicotine appears to have cancer-causing properties. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/150 "2019-08-31T17:14:18Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > "_Several lines of evidence indicate that nicotine may contribute to the development of cancer. Evidence from experimental in vitro studies on cell cultures, in vivo studies on rodents as well as studies on humans inclusive of epidemiological studies indicate that nicotine itself, independent of other tobacco constituents, may stimulate a number of effects of importance in cancer development."_ > > [Nicotine: Carcinogenicity and Effects on Response to Cancer Treatment – A Review - PMC](http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553893/) > [Smoking-cessation products that contain nicotine may not be safest way to quit, researchers discover | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech](http://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2014/06/061214-vbi-nicotine.html) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/151 "2019-09-01T23:28:03Z")
[Worcestershire Sauce](https://www.ecblendflavors.com/worcestershire-sauce-eliquid-flavor/) is apparently the hip e-flavour all the kids are into. Now if only [broccoli liquid extract](https://www.amazon.com/Broccoli-Brassica-Oleracea-Sprouting-Supplement/dp/B00ND0F5FO) could get somehow worked into e-juice. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/152 "2019-09-02T17:35:35Z")
\*"…studies have repeatedly shown that young people use e-cigarettes because of the flavors. If flavors didn’t exist, they say they wouldn’t vape. Many of the more than 15,000 unique e-cigarette flavors have silly names, such as Honey Doo Doo, Booger Sugar and Barney Pebbles. Names that aren’t exactly aimed at an adult audience. Kids are also attracted to the mint and menthol flavors, long thought to be the purview of adults."\* > **[Bonnie Halpern-Felsher: Call this youth crisis what it is: A Juuling epidemic](https://www.twincities.com/2019/08/19/bonnie-halpern-felsher-call-this-youth-crisis-what-it-is-a-juuling-epidemic/)** > > Almost daily, educators across the country tell me that at least half of their students use electronic cigarettes, mainly the Juul brand. Many of these young people show clear signs of addiction. T… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/153 "2019-09-02T18:24:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*"…studies have repeatedly shown that young people use e-cigarettes because of the flavors. If flavors didn’t exist, they say they wouldn’t vape. > > Many of the more than 15,000 unique e-cigarette flavors have silly names, such as Honey Doo Doo, Booger Sugar and Barney Pebbles. Names that aren’t exactly aimed at an adult audience. Kids are also attracted to the mint and menthol flavors, long thought to be the purview of adults."\* > > [Bonnie Halpern-Felsher: Call this youth crisis what it is: A Juuling epidemic – Twin Cities](https://www.twincities.com/2019/08/19/bonnie-halpern-felsher-call-this-youth-crisis-what-it-is-a-juuling-epidemic/) Cannabis also has similar silly names. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/154 "2019-09-02T22:01:55Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*"…studies have repeatedly shown that young people use e-cigarettes because of the flavors. If flavors didn’t exist, they say they wouldn’t vape. > > Many of the more than 15,000 unique e-cigarette flavors have silly names, such as Honey Doo Doo, Booger Sugar and Barney Pebbles. Names that aren’t exactly aimed at an adult audience. Kids are also attracted to the mint and menthol flavors, long thought to be the purview of adults."\* > > [Bonnie Halpern-Felsher: Call this youth crisis what it is: A Juuling epidemic – Twin Cities](https://www.twincities.com/2019/08/19/bonnie-halpern-felsher-call-this-youth-crisis-what-it-is-a-juuling-epidemic/) So why not just ban Juul? Or convenience store sales of tobacco products? Why is nicotine the one product that requires a flavor ban? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/155 "2019-09-03T02:10:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Cannabis also has similar silly names. 😕Really??? Rest God God’s Gift God’s Treat Bio-Jesus Critical Mass Cat Piss Floppy Donged Gorilla Hippie Crippler (actually that one’s not too bad) Afghooey Connie Chung Romulan Girl Scout Cookies Rockstar Master Kush …ok maybe one or two dumb ones. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/156 "2019-09-04T21:23:55Z")
[Michigan becomes first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/michigan-becomes-first-state-to-ban-flavored-e-cigarettes/2019/09/03/34f234c6-ce4c-11e9-8c1c-7c8ee785b855_story.html) (WaPo article) > [@](#): > > Michigan on Wednesday became the first state in the nation to ban flavored e-cigarettes, a step the governor said was needed to protect young people from the potentially harmful effects of vaping. > > Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said in an interview Tuesday that she ordered the ban after the state health department found youth vaping constituted a public health emergency. The action was officially announced Wednesday. > > . . . Besides sweet flavors, the prohibition will also apply to vaping products that use mint and menthol flavors. It does not cover tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, the governor’s aides said. > > The ban, which covers both retail and online sales, will go into effect as soon as the health department issues rules, sometime in the next 30 days. It will last for six months, and can be renewed for another six months, according to the governor’s aides. In the meantime, they said, the health department will develop permanent regulations banning flavored e-cigarettes. The legislature could try to block those rules, but would face a veto, they added. > > Whitmer also barred what she called misleading descriptions of vapor products as “clear,” “safe” and “healthy” and ordered the enforcement of an existing ban on billboard advertising for e-cigarettes. > > While Michigan is the first state to prohibit sales of flavored e-cigarettes, several cities and communities have moved to restrict or ban sales of e-cigarettes. In late June, San Francisco became the first major city in the United States to ban the sale and distribution of all e-cigarettes; the ban goes into effect early next year. > [@](#): > > On Wednesday, vaping advocates denounced the Michigan ban as misguided and predicted it would lead to a massive black market for the banned products. > > “This shameless attempt at backdoor prohibition will close down several hundred Michigan small businesses and could send tens of thousands of ex-smokers back to deadly combustible cigarettes,” Greg Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, a consumer group, said in a statement. > > “These businesses and their customers will not go down without a fight,” he added. “We look forward to supporting the lawsuits that now appear necessary to protect the right of adults to access these harm reduction products.” > > While many vaping advocates concede the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are not known, they say vaping is almost certainly safer than traditional smoking, which causes the deaths of more than 480,000 people a year in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/157 "2019-09-04T22:34:55Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > [Michigan becomes first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/michigan-becomes-first-state-to-ban-flavored-e-cigarettes/2019/09/03/34f234c6-ce4c-11e9-8c1c-7c8ee785b855_story.html) (WaPo article) We actually do something _not_ clearly an unmitigatedly awful thing! Yay for MI! (Oh yeah, electing Whitmer would also count there too) ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/158 "2019-09-04T23:14:14Z")
[A second possible vaping-related death is under investigation in Oregon](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/second-possible-vaping-related-death-under-investigation-oregon-n1049581) > [@](#): > > Health officials in Oregon are investigating the recent death of a person who had severe respiratory illness after vaping. If confirmed, it would be the second such death reported in the country. > . . . > > The Oregon Health Authority reports the individual had used a vaping device purchased from a cannabis dispensary before becoming ill. The death occurred in July. [Summit County [OH] Public Health Urges Residents to Stop Using Vaping Products](https://www.scph.org/news/summit-county-public-health-urges-residents-stop-using-vaping-products) > [@](#): > > Summit County Public Health (SCPH) is urging residents to stop using any vape and/or e-cigarette devices immediately. Individuals from Ohio have been hospitalized with severe pulmonary illness. These individuals reported using vape products or dabbing (vaping marijuana oils, extracts, or concentrates) prior to hospitalization. However, at this time, the specifics of the products are unknown. Residents are strongly encouraged to not utilize any vaping products, especially those that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD). > > Vaping and e-cigarette products of any kind contain cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead, and chemical flavorings linked to serious lung disease. The long-term health impacts for using these products are unknown but the immediate dangers of vaping are becoming increasingly evident and alarming in Ohio and across the nation. [CDC warns against vaping after mysterious spike in lung illnesses](https://www.foxnews.com/health/cdc-warns-against-vaping-spike-lung-illnesses) > [@](#): > > The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory that “includes the recommendation that while this investigation is ongoing, if you are concerned about these specific health risks, consider refraining from the use of e-cigarette products” following the spike in illnesses. > > The advisory, which was issued this past Friday, notes that as of Aug. 27, there were 215 possible cases from 25 states of lung disease which may be tied to vaping. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/159 "2019-09-06T15:17:25Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > [A second possible vaping-related death is under investigation in Oregon](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/second-possible-vaping-related-death-under-investigation-oregon-n1049581) > > [Summit County [OH] Public Health Urges Residents to Stop Using Vaping Products](https://www.scph.org/news/summit-county-public-health-urges-residents-stop-using-vaping-products) > > [CDC warns against vaping after mysterious spike in lung illnesses](https://www.foxnews.com/health/cdc-warns-against-vaping-spike-lung-illnesses) So a bunch of people got sick vaping contraband THC vape cartridges. Sounds like a perfect reason to ban Tooty Fruity nicotine vape juice. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/160 "2019-09-06T23:14:44Z")
Get your facts straight if you want to contribute to this debate. You are conflating to different points. Jurisdictions are seeking to ban “Tooty Fruity nicotine vape juice” and suing the manufacturers and distributors because they appeal to and were being subtly marketed to underaged users. The current spate of vape related illnesses seems to be (and the investigation is far from over) related to additives in some vape products; both “legitimate” and black market varieties. mc ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201/161 "2019-09-07T02:28:05Z")
New study suggests the solvents used in vaping can cause serious damage to lung tissue, even without nicotine. It’s the vaping itself that may be the problem, not the drugs. “Vaping causes ‘havoc’ with lungs, study with mice finds” > **[Vaping causes 'havoc' in the lungs, study with mice finds | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/e-cigarette-vaping-lung-damage-1.5270986)** > > Regular exposure to e-cigarette vapours disrupts the protective layer in the lungs, according to a study using lab mice that comes amid a U.S. investigation into 215 human cases of severe respiratory problems possibly linked to vaping. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vaping-saves-lives-regulation-should-keep-that-in-mind/799201.md?page=9)