In 2019, more than 5 million youths used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Nearly one million reported using e-cigarettes daily. These numbers are substantially higher than the data from 2018, when over 3.6 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes.
The rise in e-cigarettes’ popularity is troubling due to the inherent health risks and nicotine’s addictive nature. Unfortunately, these risks are not made clear by e-cigarette brands or through public awareness campaigns.
If you or your loved one has become addicted to nicotine after using e-cigarettes, you can get legal help. Below, the product liability attorneys at Carr & Carr share more details on vaping, JUULing, and the dangers of using e-cigarettes.
What is Vaping and JUULing?
Vaping is the generic term for the use of e-cigarettes. The term came from the idea that e-cigarettes create vapor instead of smoke. However, e-cigarettes heat a liquid that produces an aerosol, not a vapor. The liquid contains nicotine and flavorings, and is usually called “e-juice,” “vape juice” or “vape liquid.” “JUULing” means specifically using JUULs, a popular brand of e-cigarette.
. JUULs and many e-cigarettes are small and easy to hide. Others look like regular cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or small handheld tank systems. They often don’t produce the noticeable smells cigarettes do, making them easy to use and conceal in school classrooms or bathrooms.
Why do users vape?
Because e-cigarettes are fairly new, there are misconceptions they are less harmful than regular cigarettes. It might even be seen as a tool or a healthier alternative to help smokers stop smoking.
JUULs and many e-cigarettes are small and easy to hide. Others look like regular cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or small handheld tank systems. They often don’t produce the noticeable smells cigarettes do, making them easy to use and conceal in school classrooms or bathrooms.
Popular flavors like mint, chocolate, candy, and fruit can appeal to middle and high school kids and mask addictive ingredients like nicotine. Vaping might also be seen as trendy; the most common reason for e-cigarette use in a survey was “use by a friend or family member.”
What are the health risks of vaping and JUULing?
In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised people to avoid e-cigarettes while they investigated a nationwide outbreak of severe lung injuries, eventually called EVALI.
Even though the additive vitamin E acetate seemed to be the main culprit of this outbreak of vaping-related illness, no single cause has been identified and confirmed yet. The use of e-cigarettes can still lead to serious health problems.
Most e-cigarettes deliver large amounts of nicotine to the brain, increasing the risk of addiction and harm. In fact, many e-cigarettes sold in the U.S. contain more nicotine than those sold elsewhere.
Many e-cigarette companies even fail to disclose that they contain nicotine, which has prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to warn these companies to review their warnings and marketing materials.
Nicotine itself can harm parts of the adolescent brain that control learning, mood, attention, and impulses. It can also increase the risk of future addiction to other drugs.
As for harmful physical effects, people who use e-cigarettes increase their risk of developing lung disease by about 30 percent, compared to non-users. The aerosol that users inhale from e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances.
In addition to nicotine, e-cigarette aerosol can include ultrafine particles, chemicals like diacetyl that are linked to serious lung illness, cancer-causing chemicals, and heavy metals like nickel, tin, and lead.
Because e-cigarettes are still fairly new, the long-term risks of vaping are not yet fully known. However, there have been reports of negative health effects from vaping, which we discuss below.
Signs and symptoms of health problems
Though more information is needed in most
cases to determine what’s causing an illness, be on the lookout for these signs and symptoms if you or a loved one vape
or use JUUL:
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain or tightness
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Nausea
- Throat and mouth irritation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Fatigue or exhaustion
If you or a loved one who vapes is experiencing these symptoms, they should visit a doctor as soon as possible.
How a product liability attorney in Oklahoma can help
If you or a loved one is suffering from e-cigarette addiction, illness, or other injuries due to JUULing or vaping, a product liability attorney may be able to help. Because the companies that sell these dangerously addictive substances don’t use proper disclaimers, warnings, or public education, they may be held responsible for your addition, illness, or vape-related injuries.
Vape-related illnesses and injuries are on the rise, and more and more people becoming addicted to e-cigarettes. It’s time to receive compensation for the life-altering effects of these substances.
The Carr & Carr, Attorneys at Law team is ready to help you fight for your rights as a consumer. We serve e-cigarette, vape, and JUUL victims in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and northwest Arkansas areas.
Let us help you find out if you have legal grounds for an e-cigarette addiction lawsuit. Contact our product liability attorneys at (888) 823-9017 or schedule a free consultation online to get started.
