U.S. Lawmakers Urge E-cigarette Ban During Pandemic

Lawmakers have called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take e-cigarettes temporarily off the market during the pandemic, citing a new study suggesting that vapers are significantly more likely to contract Covid-19.

“If we reduce the number of vapers in America, we will reduce the unnecessary stress we are putting on our testing system,” Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi wrote in a letter sent to the FDA by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. “People should not have to wait weeks for Covid-19 test results—removing the risk posed by vaping will help.”

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that among young people who were tested for the coronavirus, those who vaped were five to seven times more likely to be infected than those who did not use e-cigarettes.

The study, which was published online Aug. 11 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the first to examine connections between youth vaping and Covid-19 using U.S. population-based data collected during the pandemic.

“Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus or that they will not experience symptoms of Covid-19, but the data show this isn’t true among those who vape,” said the study’s lead author, Shivani Mathur Gaiha.

“This study tells us pretty clearly that youth who are using vapes or are dual-using are at elevated risk, and it’s not just a small increase in risk; it’s a big one,” Gaiha said.

Remarkably, the researchers did not find a connection between Covid-19 diagnosis and smoking conventional cigarettes alone, perhaps because the prevalent pattern among youth is to use both vaping devices and traditional cigarettes. Other research has shown that nearly all nicotine-using youth vape, and some also smoke cigarettes, but very few use cigarettes only.

In addition to warning teenagers and young adults about the dangers of vaping, the researchers said they hoped their findings will prompt the FDA to further tighten regulations governing how vaping products are sold to young people.

“Now is the time,” said senior author Halpern-Felsher. “We need the FDA to hurry up and regulate these products. And we need to tell everyone: If you are a vaper, you are putting yourself at risk for Covid-19 and other lung disease.”

Vaping advocates expressed concern about the study.

“While we welcome any research which can assist people in staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, the UKVIA is disappointed by the Stanford-led study, which appears to dismiss the vital harm-reduction role of vaping for smokers, and draws disproportionate conclusions,” said John Dunne, director at the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

Insisting there is no scientific evidence linking smoking and vaping with Covid-19, Dunne said the UKVIA was looking forward to seeing the peer review of the Stanford study.

“It is also somewhat reckless in stating that vapers are putting themselves ‘at risk of Covid-19’ by vaping,” he said. “Vaping products are designed only for smokers and ex-smokers to help them quit conventional cigarettes, which is the most positive action someone can take to improve their health.”

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Complete gibberish. Gawd I hate people.

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What amazes me is there are actually people who will fall for this crap. A study comparing vaping to coronavirus infection? Please.

Next they will be saying that people watching Deadpool 3 while vaping catch herpes more often than non-vapers. I assume that study is set to release the day after Deadpool 3 hits theaters.

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This is a prime example of Fake News. If your first lie fails, broadcast a bigger lie.

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Where’s all this horseshit coming from? I don’t even see a horse!

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I bet teenagers that have friends are also 5 to 6 time more likely to get covid-19 than teenager’s that have no friends. Study that FDA🖕. Ban friendships!!!

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I’m in the UK. I follow what’s going on in the US quite a lot, on all fronts, because, as they say, “when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold.” Following how governments across the globe have reacted to vaping has been a real ‘red pill’ moment for me. Needless to say the laws brought in by the UK government have been relatively sane compared to many other places, but still leave a lot to be desired. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but the latest information I have with regards to nicotine and the covid virus, is that the two don’t get along. Nicotine does not necessarily kill the virus, but it does stop it from reproducing (shame we don’t have something like that for politicians) so one would expect any decent government to be promoting the uptake of it in its safest form. Apparently not. Common sense seems to have left the building with Elvis some time ago. As for this “study”? It appears that some people have no shame, and don’t give a fk about the welfare of their fellow men (and women), and are more than prepared to see people die in order to “virtue signal” some kind of pious notion that they are caring. No change there then.

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Okay so pull cigarettes too.
Really.
Let me know how that works out.

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Couldn’t agree more.

Another batch of monies spent in support of the war on vaping. Another batch of flat out lies paid for in full.

Sadly, the same group of idiots (easily led astray) were seen wandering further into the misinformation forest. /sigh

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Want to start a revolution? Try inserting your beliefs between Humans and their nicotine

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Will they ever give up?

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/cue the Beatles

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I work on a medical unit with typically 10 15 other providers on my shift We all contracted COVID in the same week. I am the only one who vapes and also the only one who didn’t get severe respiratory side effects. I actually believe vaping helped me. Maybe the heat from the vapor, helped, I don’t know but i recovered faster than most of my coworkers I don’t hold much faith in these studies,

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I’m glad you dodged the worst of it. Sorry to hear that you all were infected.

Maybe that’s why children are usually asymptomatic. They all vape you know :joy:

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I heard that nicotine stops the virus from reproducing.

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Like most things Covid related, the jury is still out, but some studies do point in that direction.

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Yes, i heard that too.

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:thinking: Yeah, I’ve heard it more than once, from more than one source. :+1:

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The study done at Stanford was featured on a morning TV show last week. For 4 minutes they threw vaping under the bus. The last line of the piece was this

“Researchers were unsure why vaping increased the risk of COVID. They do have a theory that young adults were sharing their vape devices”

So, COVID can be can be spread by swapping spit. Be aware of this…cos it’s kinda important.

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