Lung injury update: FDA warns public to stop using THC-containing vaping products and any vaping products obtained off the street

The FDA is strengthening its warning to consumers to stop using vaping products containing Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - amid more than 1,000 reports of lung injuries - including some resulting in deaths - following the use of vaping products.

Over the past several weeks, the FDA has been working tirelessly along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal, state and local partners to investigate the distressing incidents of severe lung injuries and deaths associated with the use of vaping products. The latest number of reported cases and deaths, released by the CDC, continues to underscore the need for us to gather critical information and provide consumers with actionable information to help best protect themselves and their loved ones.

This alert builds on initial recommendations the FDA issued several weeks ago and is based on new information we’re continuing to learn from both patients and the samples that have been tested so far. For example, additional testing revealed that a majority of the hundreds of samples of vaping products tested by the states or by the FDA so far have been identified as containing THC.

Additionally, according to recent findings, most of the patients impacted by these illnesses reported using THC-containing products, suggesting THC products are playing a role in the these illnesses. That said, some patients have reported using both THC products and nicotine products, as well as a smaller number reporting using only nicotine products. Similarly, testing on the samples collected or received by the FDA shows a variety of products, or product components, with different ingredients or delivery systems making this investigation especially challenging.