As of November 20, 2019, the CDC has identified 2,290 cases of vaping-related lung injuries in 49 states and Washington, D.C. This includes 45 deaths confirmed in 25 states.

• Of the deceased, the median age “was 53 years and ranged from 17 to 75 years.”

CDC was able to obtain information on 1,184, or 51.7 percent, of patients with vaping-related lung illnesses. Of these, “83% reporting using [tetrahydrocannabinol] THC-containing products,” with “35% reporting exclusive use of THC-containing products.”

This report comes after CDC examined 29 patients with vaping-related lung injuries, finding that vitamin E acetate was present in all 29 samples.

It is important to note neither CDC or state health departments have been able to identify a single chemical, let alone product, that could be causing adverse health effects.

Many other state health departments have determined a majority of their patients are reporting use of THC-containing e-cigarettes, which are often illegal, black market products, containing unknown substances.

• The California Department of Public Health found 82 percent of patients with vaping-related lung injuries reported vaping THC.

• The Connecticut State Department of Public Health noted 76 percent of the state’s patients reported using THC-containing vaping devices.

• Delaware Health and Social Services reported over 70 percent of patients with a vaping-related lung injury reported using THC.

• The Illinois Department of Public Health concluded over “80 percent of the cases in Illinois report recent use of THC-containing products.”

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services noted 89 percent of patients “reported using e-cigarettes or other vaping devices to inhale THC products, such as waxes and oils.”

• Minnesota’s and Oregon’s health departments have linked deaths in their states to the use of THC products.

Although vitamin E acetate’s role in the current outbreak is unknown, it “has been identified as a ‘very strong culprit’ in lung injuries related to vaping THC.”

• The New York State Department of Health announced results from laboratory testing on vaping products. The “results showed very high levels of vitamin E acetate in nearly all cannabis-containing samples analyzed.”

• The Utah Public Health Laboratory tested 39 vaping devices: 51 percent contained e-liquid nicotine and 49 percent contained THC. 90 percent “of the THC cartridges contained Vitamin E acetate.”

Moreover, many patients are reporting vaping illegal, black market products. A report in of 53 patients in Illinois and Wisconsin noted that 84 percent reported vaping THC products, with 21 of the 41 patients reporting using a “Dank Vape” product.

• Dank Vapes is not a legitimate brand of THC cartridges. The company sells empty boxes and packaging online.

• Anyone can purchase empty cartridges and then fill these devices with their own concoction of chemicals and resell these seemingly authentic packages.

• Instructions on how to infuse THC into vaping devices is widely available on YouTube.

Despite recent fearmongering, electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are overwhelmingly less harmful than combustible cigarettes.

• Public Health England estimates e-cigarettes are 95 percent safer than combustible cigarettes.

• The Royal College of Physicians noted that risks associated with e-cigarettes “were unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco.”

• The American Cancer Society noted in June 2019, “e-cigarette use to be significantly less harmful for adults than smoking regular cigarettes … because e-cigarettes do not contain or burn tobacco.”

Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are tobacco harm reduction tools.

• Since their introduction to the U.S. market in 2007, e-cigarettes have helped an estimated three million American adults quit smoking.

E-cigarettes are twice as effective as traditional nicotine replacement therapy in helping smokers quit combustible cigarettes.