Electronic cigarettes continue to grow in popularity despite significant health dangers. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) “E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol.”[1] Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of sweet flavors and are being designed to be discrete. As many readers may be aware, a highly popular electronic cigarette, JUUL is designed to look like USB drives. “According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.”[2]
As the popularity of electronic cigarettes grows so does our knowledge of the health risks. A recent study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds association between electronic cigarette use and myocardial infarction (heart attacks). The surveys found that “Daily e-cigarette use was independently associated with increased odds of having had a myocardial infarction.”[3]
A UC San Francisco survey of nearly 70,000 people found that every day use of e-cigarettes can nearly double the odds of a heart attack. [4] “While e-cigarettes deliver lower levels of carcinogens than conventional cigarettes, they both deliver ultrafine particles – which are 1/50 to 1/100 the size of human hair – and other toxins that have been linked to increased cardiovascular and non-cancer lung disease risks.”[5]
“For those who used both products daily, the odds of having had a heart attack were 4.6 times that of people who had never used either product.”[6]
As e-cigarettes grow in popularity and users continue to use them over longer periods of time more people are bound to succumb to the now known health risks of these needless and dangerous products. If you or someone you know uses e-cigarettes and recently suffered a heart attack, contact Leav & Steinberg, LLP to find out about your rights.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html#two.
[3] American Journal of Preventive Medicine, October 2018, Volume 55, Issue 4, Pages 455–461.
[4] https://www.uscf.edu/news/2018/08/411476/risk-heart-attacks-double-daily-e-cigarette-users
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
