DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- The Federal Drug Administration is banning most flavored e-cigarette cartridges. The announcement comes just days after The Dallas County Department confirmed it’s first vaping related death.
Doctor Phil Huang Director for the Dallas County Health Department says vaping has become a growing concern for teens, with a whole new generation of kids becoming addicted to nicotine. “Between 2017 and 2018 nationally I think there was a 78% increase in youth vaping use,” said Huang.
Huang said including this week’s vape related death, Dallas County has had 53 vape related hospitalizations. “This is a teenager…and in the latest cases we’ve had, these are perfectly healthy teenagers who are then having to be intubated and on ventilators, it’s just tragic,” he said.
This is just in Dallas County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of December 27th, 2019 there was a total of 2,561 hospitalized EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) cases or deaths reported from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands)
Huang blames the vaping product’s marketing. “It’s bubblegum flavored and gummy bear.. they’re clearly marketed for youth and kids,” he said.
The ban excludes menthol and tobacco flavored cartridges and open tank systems. Huang stressed though the ban doesn’t take away all e-cigarette flavors it’s a step in the right direction to end the growing vaping problem. It will go into effect later this year.