THE FDA’S LATEST INVESTIGATION, THOSE DEVICES ARE FACING A WHOLE
NEW SET OF HEAT.
THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND
SIZES.
SIZES. E-CIGARETTES CAN EVEN BE AS
DISCREET AS A FLASH DRIVE BUT
THIS MORNING NEW CONCERNS OVER
THE POPULAR PRODUCTS.
THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCING THEY WILL INVESTIGATE
A POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN VAPING
AND SEIZURES.
AND SEIZURES. THIS AFTER THE FDA REVEALED
SINCE 2010 THEY’VE RECEIVED 35
REPORTS OF SEIZURES AMONG
TEENAGERS USING E-CIGARETTES.
THE FDA WRITING, WE HAVE REPORTS
INDICATING THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO
USE THESE CIGARETTES ESPECIALLY
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, ARE
EXPERIENCING SEIZURES FOLLOWING
THEIR USE.
THEIR USE. THE FDA’S ANNOUNCEMENT
INCREASING SCRUTINY ON THE
BOOMING INDUSTRY.
BOOMING INDUSTRY. ONE E-CIGARETTE COMPANY SAYING
IN PART THEY WILL VIGILANTLY
MONITOR FOR ANY EVIDENCE OF
SAFETY ISSUES AND WORK
COOPERATIVELY WITH FDA AS WE
CONTINUE TO COMBAT YOUTH USAGE.
ACCORDING TO THE CDC, 3.5
MILLION MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS REPORTED VAPING
IN 2018.
IN 2018. MORE THAN TEN TIMES THE NUMBER
OF TEEN USERS IN 2011.
JUST LAST YEAR THE FDA LIMITED
SALES OF FLAVORED PRODUCTS TO
TRY TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE
HANDS OF TEENAGERS.
LUCCA RASWAS A 14-YEAR-OLD FRESH
WHEN HE STARTED AND QUICKLY
BECAME ADDICTED.
BECAME ADDICTED. >> I FELT DEFEATED.
O’COULD
O’COULD I COULDN’T STOP.
>> Reporter: IT’S A WELCOME
DEVELOPMENT FOR HIS MOM.
>> HIS BEHAVIOR BECAME
EXPLOSIVE.
EXPLOSIVE. HE WAS VERY ANGRY.
IT JUST WASN’T HIM.
>> Reporter: LUCCA HAD A SEVERE
SEIZURE AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF
VAPING.
VAPING. >> I’M NOT AWARE OF THE FULL-ON
MEDICAL EFFECTS BUT THERE ARE
DETERMINE SOME.
DETERMINE SOME. >> Reporter: AFTER A STINT IN
REHAB HE GAVE UP VAPING WARNING
OTHERS OF DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS
AS E-CIGARETTES FACE A NEW CLOUD
OF CONTROVERSY.
OF CONTROVERSY. THE FDA WANTS TO MAKE IT VERY
CLEAR THE INVESTIGATION HAS JUST
BEGUN AND THEY HAVEN’T MADE A
DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN
SEIZURES AND VAPING BUT ARE
ASKING CONSUMERS TO REPORT ANY
SEIZURES OR UNEXPECTED HEALTH
PROBLEMS THAT MAY HAPPEN TO THEM
AFTER USING E-CIGARETTES.
>> THANKS, GADI.
>>> TALKING MORE ABOUT THIS WITH
NBC NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT
DR. JOHN TORRES.
DR. JOHN, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT,
THERE WERE 35 REPORTED CASES
OVER THE COURSE OF NINE YEARS.
IT STRUCK US WONDERING WHY
WONDER WHY THAT PROMPTED AN
INVESTIGATION IN THE FIRST
PLACE?
PLACE? >> EVEN THE FDA, MIGHT NOT SEEM
LIKE A LOT OF CASES BUN
CONCERNED ENOUGH TO LOOK INTO
IT.
IT. SEIZURES, CANNING DANGEROUS.
TWO, SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING TEENS
AND YOUNG ADULTS WHICH WITH
THEIR DEVELOPING BRAINS CAN BE A
PROBLEM ESPECIALLY AS THEY GET
OLDER IN LIFE.
THREE, NO REAL PATTERN BEHIND
THIS.
THIS. FOR SOME PEOPLE IT HAPPENED
AFTER THE FIRST PUFFS.
SOME, A DAY LATER.
SOME PEOPLE, PEOPLE USED THEM A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. OTHERS, THE VERY FIRST TIME THEY
TRIED IT.
TRIED IT. SOME PEOPLE HAD SEIZURES IN
THEIR BACKGROUND, OTHERS DIDN’T.
NO PATTERN.
NO PATTERN. SEEMS TO BE ACCELERATING,
HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN.
ESPECIALLY SINCE JUNE.
>> IS THIS THE FDA DOING A
CALLOUT?
CALLOUT? TELL US IF THIS HAPPENS?
IS THAT UNUSUAL?
>> THEY’RE SAYING WE WANT MORE
REPORTS.
REPORTS. IF IT’S HAPPENED TO YOU, CONTACT
US.
US. THEY DEVELOPED A SAFETY PORTAL
TO GO TO.
TO GO TO. TODAY.COM, A PORT THERE.
GO TO IT.
GO TO IT. IF YOU’VE EXPERIENCED THIS.
THEY THINK THIS IS THE TIP OF
THE ICEBERG AND MORE PEOPLE OUT
THERE THAT JUST HAVEN’T REPORTED
THEM.
THEM. >> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE, I
HAVE A NUMBER OF FRIENDS WHO
CONTEND THIS.
CONTEND THIS. VAPING IS SAFER THAN TRADITIONAL
CIGARETTES.
CIGARETTES. NOT NEARLY AS BAD?
>> WE TALK ABOUT IT, IF YOU’RE A
CHRONIC SMOKER, VAPING IS SAFER
THAN SMOKING THOSE CIGARETTES AS
MUCH AS YOU DO BUT DOES NOT MEAN
IT’S SAFE.
IT’S SAFE. FINDING OUT MORE AND HOAR THEMOR
SIDE EFFECTS COULD BE THERE.
GETTING THESE PRODUCTS INTO YOUR
BODY AND VAPING, ENDS.
ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVER
SYSTEMS, DELIVERING A HIGH DOSE
OF NICOTINE AND THAT MIGHT BE
THE CONNECTION.
THE CONNECTION. A LOT MORE THAN CIGARETTES.
IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERDOSE ON
NICOTINE.
NICOTINE. WITH THE E-CIGARETTES, COULD AT
A POINT.
A POINT. THAT’S THE BIG CONCERN.
ESPECIALLY, AGAIN, IN THE YOUNG,
THE TEENS AND THE YOUNG ADULTS.
>> HOOKED ON NICOTINE, THE MOST
ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE.
ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. THAT’S THE CONCERN.
GET THESE TEENAGERS HOOKED ON