September 24, 2019

By: Allison Aubrey

NPR

A top official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned federal lawmakers Tuesday that a new generation of e-cigarettes now on the market is “even more addictive,” than early versions of vapes, and the number of vaping-related lung diseases is continuing to rise.

“We are seeing more and more cases each day,” the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat told lawmakers at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that is looking into the recent national outbreak.

Ruby Johnson, the mother of a college-aged student hospitalized last month with severe respiratory problems linked to vaping, also testified at the hearing. Teens have been used as guinea pigs, she told the members of Congress.

“These products flooded the market without anyone knowing how they would cause damage, and now we’re trying to clean up a mess that involves a cocktail of mystery toxins and proprietary flavors,” Johnson said. “If this was romaine lettuce, the shelves would be empty.”