Media reports of a ‘vaping crisis’ in the US have raised the question as to whether Britain needs to worry too.
This year there have been 450 reported cases of lung illness and six deaths linked to vaping in the US, leading to American health authorities calling for users to ‘stop vaping now’.
But research actually suggests that vapers in the UK are safe from the risks that face those in the US. This is because the ingredients in vaping liquids that are sold in the UK are strictly regulated, unlike many that can be found in the US.
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Patients in the US who have suffered vaping-related lung diseases were found to have been using illegal e-cigarette fluids which are bought on the streets or even homemade. Many of these contain cannabis-related substances such as THC.
While the ‘crisis’ in the US has whipped up lots of media attention, the Head of Tobacco Control at Public Health England, Martin Fockrell said: “Unlike the US, all e-cigarette products in the UK are tightly regulated for quality and safety by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and they operate the yellow card scheme, encouraging vapers to report any bad experiences.”
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In the UK, vapers can look up the product that they are using on the MHRA to see whether it is safe to use and can be legally sold. There is no equivalent of this system in the US.
Despite these reassurances, it’s a fact that the effects of vaping on your health is still under investigation, following the increased popularity of the products, their appeal to the younger audience and warnings that long-term studies are needed. However, official bodies in the UK assure residents that it is always preferable to vape rather than smoke.
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