Current Event Report

.pdf

School

West Los Angeles College *

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Course

011

Subject

Medicine

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by DoctorTapirPerson195

Why has there been an increase in hospitalization due to cases regarding lungs? Could it be related to smoking? Are cigarettes more damaging than e-cigs? Recently lots of people have turned to vapes and e-cigarettes because they believe it is healthier than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Not only are the people who already smoke being dragged into this rise in vapes and e-cigarette sales; but teenagers and middle schoolers are also contributing to the consumption of these products. These products are famous for being much easier to carry around, hide, and dispose of. They work by heating a liquid that produces an aerosol that the user is then inhaling into their lungs. The liquid that these vapes typically contains nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinoid (CBD) oils, and other substances, flavorings, and additives. Why are the ingredients important? Well, it is important because not only is there a mind-altering substance that can cause injuries, but it contains nicotine which is very addictive. It is also very harmful for the teens who are engaging in this type of activity because nicotine's addictive properties will harm the development of these kids' brains which do not stop until they are in their mid 20’s. The addition is defined as continued involvement with a substance or activity despite ongoing negative consequences (What is addiction pg.210). Their involvement usually starts because of a friend, and they will use their stress and anxiety to continue this habit because they are slowly becoming nicotine addicts. Some may see this as normal, but it will take a toll on a person's behavior and health. When they experience withdrawal, they will become restless and have mood swings. But focusing on the health aspect, vaping can deliver toxins and metal to your lung which can permeant damage. It Is known that as of February 18 of 202 0 there have been a little over 2,000 cases that resulted in hospitalization or death. The report was made by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and was from all 50 states. From the document cases, many of the admitted patients were male specifically 66% were male. The average age of the people admitted was around 24 years but there were others between the ages of 13-85 years old. Although the cause of their lung injuries is related to vaping, they are not sure which component is

affecting them specifically. The only connection that has been made so far is to the vitamin E acetate because testing shows that people who vape have vitamin e in their lung fluid, whereas people whole do not smoke or vape do not have vitamins e present in their results. To reduce the harm done by vaping the “CDC and FDA recommend that people not use THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products, particularly from informal sources like friends, family, or in-person or online dealers” (CDC, 2020). I understand that just stopping the action of vaping is difficult due to the feeling of withdrawal so I would suggest that they stop vaping but if they still require nicotine to be able to function, they can replace the action of vaping with chewing gum that contains nicotine. Which is believed to help smokers quit smoking. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html#map-cases

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