According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 530 people have been admitted to hospitals across the United States in 2019 for showing symptoms of inflamed lungs and other respiratory damage caused by vaping. Of the 530 cases, 72 percent were men, 67 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34 and a total of six cases resulted in death. 

The Emory Wheel conducted in-person and email interviews with Emory University School of Medicine Associate Professor Srihari Veeraraghavan, Director of Health Management Michael Staufacker and Health Promotion Specialist Brandi Benton. 

The Wheel’s “Round Table” series intends to share the viewpoints of a diverse group of Emory faculty and staff regarding current issues within the student body.

Interview transcripts have been edited for clarity and length.

The Emory Wheel: According to WSB-TV Atlanta, a patient was admitted to the pulmonary wing of Emory University Hospital earlier in September. Could you tell us about that?

Srihari Veeraraghavan: A patient arrived with symptoms of breathing difficulty, a slight cough and was later found with vitamin E in his lungs. 

TEW: Can you tell us more about vitamin E? 

SV: Vitamin E is a regular vitamin that can be found in everyday food items. However, we don’t know what it does when you inhale [it]. The creators of the pod that caused these symptoms probably used it as a suspension to get flavors or THC in there. There is a lot we don’t know about the market for vapes and vaping products. However, we do know that all oils are irritants to a human’s airways. By inhaling it, you risk inflaming your lungs and exposing your body to harmful chemicals. 

TEW: What is your take on the recent epidemic? 

SV: Part of the problem is that these products aren’t regulated at all. There are thousands of different flavors in the market, all of which come with different, often unknown chemicals.  Bubble gum, apple-peach — I’m not even sure what an apple-peach flavor is — but there are unknown chemicals in there that create it. That is a problem. 

Brandi Benton: Vaping is a misnomer. What is inhaled is not a vapor or steam, or even Vitamin E in most cases. It is an aerosol containing harmful chemicals which deliver nicotine and THC. 

TEW: Why is this issue important to Emory?

Michael Staufacker: According to the CDC’s annual Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, the use of vaping products has escalated tremendously in the past few years, to the point where we are starting to hear the word epidemic, coming adjunct to the new perception that these devices are “healthier” than cigarettes. 

SV: Cigarette companies have always been looking for new customers. Currently, vaping is no longer sold as an aid for smoking. It’s a lifestyle, a cool thing. 

BB: The CDC makes it clear that the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for youth and young adults for a variety of reasons. E-cigarettes commonly contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can cause harm to the adolescent brain into the mid-20s. The aerosol in e-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances, including a not-yet-identified cause of lung injury and subsequent death.

TEW: What does Emory do to solve this issue?

MS: Emory staff participates in benchmarking with other universities such as Vanderbilt, Duke, Harvard and other institutions, gathering and understanding current issues, sharing information and guidance on a variety of issues. 

BB: I serve as one of the co-chairs for the Emory Tobacco Free Task Force. The task force, a governing group, meets every other month to discuss ways to improve compliance and aid enforcement. Our efforts include increased signage in areas where smoking continues to be an issue, community enforcement support, continued reminders to the Emory community and visitors to campus, and promotional campaigning to increase awareness.

TEW: How would you solve the issue? 

MS: I am of the opinion that it takes the broader community. It’s the work that the task force is doing, as well as the Atlanta health department, Fulton County Board of Health [and] other local employers. Teens and young adults are being bombarded by advertisements, millions of dollars being spent on promotional activity. That is where we do our work, attempting to reverse that narrative, changing the environment where this behavior occurs. 

SV: I think the FDA should regulate it — create a formula, universal ingredients. They should also conduct studies to see if the creation of this product is even useful in aiding smokers around the world.

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Associate Editor | Tommy Kreutz (18Ox, 21C) is from Chicago, majoring in creative writing and political science. Tommy is a published poet, whose favorite poetic reads are "Sin" by Ai, "Cortége" by Carl Philips and "A Women of Poetry" by Robyn Schiff. In his free time, Tommy furthers his own stereotype by going around campus, espousing ill-informed tirades about politics, movies and sports, to no one in particular.