E-Cigarette and Electronic Vaporizer Use has Skyrocketed

Over the last few years, tobacco consumption has taken a noticeable turn. Slowly the steady decrease in traditional tobacco consumption through cigarettes has mirrored the rise in e-cigarette and vape pen use. The $7 Billion global industry continues to grow as some analysts believe e-cigarette sales will surpass traditional cigarette sales as early as 2022.

These small handheld devices use small lithium ion batteries to vaporize the flavored liquid (most commonly made up of vegetable glycerin and/or polyethylene glycol, flavoring and nicotine) which is inhaled by the consumer. Discreet, easy to use and flavorful, vaping has become the newest viral trend among all ages.

No demographic has been more influenced by this new trend than teenagers. 5 million youth, kids in middle school and high school, reported to be consuming tobacco products regularly. The majority of which are using e-cigarettes that have bold flavors like bubble gum, cotton candy, mango, etc. to attract these younger audiences.

Consumers Continue to Suffer Injuries

Along with the massive influx of new e-cigarette users has come a wave of health and safety concerns regarding the small electronic devices. Injuries from e-cigarette explosion, fire or related health problems have skyrocketed with the growing rates of use, resulting in damage to property as well as personal injury. While a majority of the victims have had to deal with ranging severities of burns, some have had to deal with life threatening injuries.  

While everyone knows when they are on fire, there are other injuries that can occur that you may be less attentive to. Here are some of the more commonly reported injuries that have come from e-cigarettes:

• Burns, scarring, or other injuries from an explosion of an e-cigarette  
• Popcorn Lung (symptoms include: wheezing, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing)
• Asthma
• Chronic Bronchitis
• Breathing problems

There has been a spike of injuries as of late. Recently a 17-year-old Nevada teen was vaping when the pen exploded. The explosion shattered his jaw and knocked several of his teeth out. A middle school in NY was evacuated due to an e-cigarette exploding in a student’s pocket. The explosion burned his leg and he was taken to the hospital.

Several lawsuits have already been filed against manufacturers, alleging improper targeting of youth in marketing campaigns and for inadequate research about the long-term effects. We are deeply concerned with the damage done to those who have been adversely affected by e-cigarettes. We believe that these manufacturing companies, as well as the distributors and retailers, should be held responsible for the damages they caused and compensate the injured parties for their physical, emotional and financial losses.