Pop-up Lungs
As the media continues to flood itself with tales of lung issues, balance and truth finally comes out of a Californian public health department
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by Dave Cross
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In Wisconsin, people are being urged not to vape by Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm: “We strongly urge people to avoid vaping products and e-cigarettes."
In New York, Health Commissioner Dr Howard Zucker said: "While many people consider vaping to be a less dangerous alternative to smoking cigarettes, it is not risk free. These latest reports of pulmonary disease in people using vaping products in New York and other states are proof that more study is needed on the long-term health effects of these products."
Idiocy is running rampant. Fortunately, Dr Milton Teske, Health Officer with the Kings County Department of Public Health, has issuing a real-world warning regarding the incidents – and highlights that it is just down to the dangers of vaping cannabis or CBD oils.
Dr Teske writes: “Since June, seven cases of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) have been identified, requiring hospitalisation and respiratory support among previously healthy adults. Some of these patients’ conditions were so severe they were admitted to the intensive care unit and required respiratory support through mechanical devices.”
“The first symptoms of ARDS are feeling like you can’t get enough air into your lungs, rapid breathing, a low blood oxygen level, low blood pressure, confusion, and extreme tiredness. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms seek immediate medical treatment.”
A reported common exposure among these patients is that they have been vaping cannabis or CBD oils. At this time, no infectious cause has been identified.
“One pattern also observed during the investigation is that all of the cases to date have involved the purchasing of vape cartridges from ‘pop-up shops’. Pop-up shops are temporary shops that open for an undetermined amount of time, advertise by word of mouth, and will move locations frequently. These pop-up shops are not licensed retailers and do not follow any current regulations or safety practices, including selling only products that have been tested for contaminants. Under no circumstances should you vape cannabis or CBD oils obtained from a ‘pop-up shop’.”
The advice offered is that although cannabis or CBD oil use is legal in California, users should only purchase from licensed retailers.
Josh Wurzer, founder of licensed California cannabis analysis lab, SC Labs said: “I’d heard about the Midwest outbreak this weekend and called my relatives in Wisconsin who I know vape and told them to stay away. It was only a matter of time until something like this happened with the black-market cartridges.”
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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