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Health Check: What’s behind the vaping deaths in the US?

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Young Woman Smoking e-cigarette

2019/11/13 GMT

What’s behind the vaping deaths in the US?

BBC World Service - Health Check, What’s behind the vaping deaths in the US?

Illicit cannabis behind vaping deaths in United States

US vaping deaths caused 'by cannabis'; climate change spreads insect-borne diseases; improving survival of knife crime victims

Vaping is often recommended to help people give up smoking tobacco - because it’s a safer way of obtaining nicotine. But in the United States 39 deaths and more than 2000 lung injuries have been linked to vaping e-cigarettes. We hear how the chemical vitamin E acetate and THC found in cannabis are now being blamed for the epidemic. The same pattern of harm has not been seen in other parts of the world so vaping is still considered a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes which kills half the people who smoke them in the long term. 

Climate change is being blamed for an increase in cases of insect-borne diseases like Lyme Disease and West Nile Disease in Canada. Anyone hiking or camping is advised to cover up their arms and legs and use an insecticide to reduce their risk of being bitten. 

The number of patients who survive serious bleeding could almost double if a new approach to treatment developed at a London hospital is followed. Doctors gave blood products early to patients – instead of just clear fluids - and monitored how their blood was clotting, to improve their chances of survival.

(Photo: Young Woman Smoking e-cigarette. Credit: Ranta Images/Getty Images.)

Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond

Producer: Paula McGrath

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