With the number of reported vaping-illnesses being on the rise for the past few months, on Friday a CDC official said that the reported cases are “leveling off or even declining.” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director, told reporters on a conference call that “It’s serious and potentially fatal, but it is preventable.” Schuchat also proposed that those who tried vaping may have been experimenting with riskier substances due to the fact that nicotine e-liquid refillable cartridges were becoming more popular.

According to the CDC, health officials cannot claim the causes of these pulmonary illnesses specifically, aside from most patients reporting that they were vaping THC when they fell ill. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana, and the CDC suggests black market cartridges containing this substance are linked to the seriousness of the disease.

The CDC and investigators are continuing to try and find out why this vaping epidemic started now when vaping has been around for years before. Thus far it is encouraged to not vape anything containing THC or purchased from off the streets.

Key Points:

  • CDC official says the reported number of vaping-related illness cases are “level off or even declining.”
  • Public Health Officials have not found any one thing linked to vaping-related illness and suggest that there is more than one.
  • Dr. Anne Schuchat suggests the rise of refillable nicotine liquid cartridges opened the gate to experimenting with other more dangerous substances.