The reports were submitted voluntarily, either to the FDA or to poison control centers. The agency stressed that it has not determined a definitive link between vaping and seizures, but there may be additional cases that could help it investigate.
Seizures are known to be a possible side effect of nicotine poisoning, the FDA said.
“We know that nicotine isn’t a harmless substance, especially in the developing brains of our youth,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Amy Abernethy said in the statement. “But we’ve also been clear that, even for adults, e-cigarettes are not risk free.”
No clear pattern
There is no clear pattern to the seizures: Some who had seizures were vaping for the first time, and some had been using these products for a while. The timing of the seizures also ranged from after a few puffs on an e-cigarette to a full day later. Several people had previously received a seizure diagnosis, and a few had also been using other drugs, like marijuana or amphetamines, before the seizures occurred.
“E-cigarette use behaviors also vary and users may deliberately or inadvertently inhale more nicotine than would typically occur,” Gottlieb and Abernethy said, adding that e-liquids “have varying levels of nicotine concentrations, and some e-cigarette design features may allow a user to obtain high levels of nicotine quickly.”
High nicotine concentrations can be manufactured using a “nicotine salt.” By combining nicotine — a bitter base in its natural form — with an organic acid, vape manufacturers can mask nicotine’s naturally unpleasant taste, create higher-concentration products and deliver nicotine to the brain quickly, experts say.
Juul has maintained that its products are intended to convert adult former smokers to what the company describes as a less-harmful alternative. It says it has taken steps to curb underage use, as well.
Brands like Juul come in small pods, but other e-liquids may come in larger bottles, which represents “a huge poisoning risk,” Jackler said. Some bottles lack childproof caps and contain enough nicotine to kill an entire preschool class, he added.
Taking action
The FDA is looking into additional possible health risks when it comes to vaping, including whether they may cause cancer in the airways down the line, according to the statement.
CNN’s Kevin Flower contributed to this report.
Source : CNN