The Trump administration wants the FDA to ban flavored e-cigarettes as state health officials continue to search for answers following the outbreak of a mysterious lung disease that has sickened over 450 and killed at least six people, HuffPost reported.
The illness has been linked to using flavored e-cigarette and vaping products, though it’s unclear what ingredient is causing the baffling disease.
More than 450 people across the country have been hospitalized for the lung disease.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, fatigue, vomiting, and fevers. Most of those being admitted to hospitals appear to be youthful, otherwise healthy adults, suddenly stricken with serious damage to their respiratory systems.
While the severity of those hospitalized vary from case to case, six patients have died as a result of their disease.
The majority of patients admitted to using flavored vapes or e-cigarettes, indicating a connection between the products and the serious illness.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced it is investigating the outbreak and advised anyone who uses these products to stop in the meantime.
A statement from the CDC reveals experts believe the illness could be due to chemical exposure, though no specific substance or product has been identified.
In response to the ever-growing cases of the vaping-related illness, President Trump announced plans to ban flavored vaping products.
On Wednesday, he told reporters inside the Oval Office that he wants the FDA to take these products off the market, dubbing the act of vaping a “problem,” specifically for children.
“We may very well have to do something very, very strong about it,” he told reporters.
U.S. health secretary Alex Azar elaborated on Trump’s announcement, saying the FDA is finalizing its guidance to remove flavored e-cigarette products.
He explained that this is an effort to dissuade children from using the products, as they’re attracted to other flavors than tobacco.
While it could take several weeks for the FDA to develop the guidelines, Azar assured reporters that the administration will also take enforcement action if it’s discovered that e-cigarette producers are intentionally targeting children. Among those hospitalized for the lung illness are patients as young as 17.
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Trump’s announcement comes on the heels of first lady Melania Trump’s tweet expressing concern about the “epidemic of e-cigarette use.”
“We need to do all we can to protect the public from tobacco-related disease and death, and prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addition for a generation of youth,” she tweeted on Monday.
Melania’s concern is not unwarranted, as a recent survey has found an increase in teens vaping, which may eventually lead to nicotine use.
h/t: HuffPost
