Urgent warning as vapes linked to 5 deaths in Britain – and it’s just ‘the tip of the iceberg’, experts say
VAPES have been linked to at least five deaths in Britain, it is reported.
Almost 1,000 serious adverse reactions to e-cigarettes have been logged by the health watchdog since 2010.
This includes blood, nervous system and respiratory disorders, as well as burn injuries and cancer, according to .
Five fatalities were connected to the devices, though no concrete cause could be established.
Instead, the deaths were put down to other health complications, with officials "suspicious" that the gadgets were to blame.
Three people died following respiratory problems.
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One was caused by the inhalation of oil or fat - a known potential consequence of vaping.
The other two passed away with heart disorders, including one from a cardiac arrest.
Experts fear the death toll could be just the "tip of the iceberg".
Dr Salim Khan, head of department for public health at Birmingham City University, said: "The MHRA analysis is welcomed as it provides additional evidence of the potential harm that e-cigarettes and vaping can cause.
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"The data may only represent the tip of the iceberg.
"To establish the potential impact that e-cigarettes and vaping are having on people's health, we require continued data collection and reporting.
"We need rigorous evidence that clearly demonstrates the detrimental impact of e-cigarettes and vaping on health."
The five deaths were reported through the Yellow Card system - a site set up to report suspected side effects to medicines, vaccines, e-cigs, devices and other products.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which runs the scheme, said it does not make direct links.
A spokesperson said: "It may be difficult to tell the difference between something that has occurred naturally and an adverse reaction.
"Sometimes reactions can be part of an underlying condition rather than being caused by the e-cigarette.
"Many factors have to be considered when assessing whether an e-cigarette has caused a reported adverse reaction."
The 942 adverse reactions to e-cigarettes included:
- Oropharyngeal pain
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Malaise
But Professor John Britton, who sits on the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Group, insisted reactions are "very rare".
E-cigarettes allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke.
They do not burn tobacco or produce tar or carbon monoxide - two of the most dangerous elements of traditional smoking.
Thousands of people in the UK have quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes, or vapes.
But the effects of their long-term use is not widely understood.
Experts also fear thousands of young people are taking up the habit early, and potentially exposing themselves to knock-off devices.
MILLIONS OF ILLICIT E-CIGS SEIZED
Millions of illicit e-cigs have been seized by trading standards departments since the beginning of 2020.
Freedom of information requests from The Guardian to 125 local authorities uncovered more than 2.5million illegal and potentially harmful vapes have been collected over the last three years.
More than 1.35m vapes were seized by trading standards at Hillingdon Borough Council in west London alone due to the area's proximity to Heathrow - a major port of entry for the illegal trade.
These illicit vapes do not comply with UK legal regulations, meaning they could have higher nicotine concentration levels, contain banned ingredients or have oversized tanks for nicotine liquid.
It has also been found that illegal vapes can contain high levels of lead, nickel and chromium.
Kate Pike, lead officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: "There is a significant number of illegal products on the market, which does not help when we are trying to support public health response which is to ensure the products are much safer than tobacco for smokers looking to quit.
"The main concern is that young people are getting their hands on these products.
"We do not want children or adults getting addicted to something at all like this.
"We know that legal compliant vapes pose a fraction of the risk of smoking but we do not know what the risk is from illegal vapes."
Earlier this month, NHS leaders sounded the alarm over a rise in the number of children admitted to hospital for vaping.
The NHS said 40 children and young people were admitted to hospital in England last year due to "vaping-related disorders", up from 11 two years before.
Paediatricians have also warned that "youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children" as they called on the Government to ban disposable vapes.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Guardian: "It is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to children and we are concerned about the recent rises in youth vaping, particularly because of the unknown long-term harms.
"We are taking bold action to end this practice through the £3m Illicit Vapes Enforcement Squad, which will tackle products imported and traded illicitly, remove illegal products from the market that don't comply with our regulations, and tackle underage sales to children.
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"We have also launched a call for evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products and explore where the government can go further.
"The call for evidence has now closed, and the government will be considering a range of options based on the evidence provided."