New Report: Will Explosion of Youth Vaping Lead to An Epidemic of Deadly Lung Disease?

Lung Health Experts Call for Banning Indoor Smoking in Public Places &  Increasing Funding for Anti-Smoking, Anti-Vaping Campaigns TAMPA, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 — Lung Health Institute, a national leader in providing safe and effective lung disease treatments, releases a new report which highlights skyrocketing e-cigarette use and its potential future impact on deadly lung disease. The report outlines a disturbing potential correlation between youth vaping and future smoking, which is the main risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is the third leading cause of death by disease in the United States, killing approximately 120,000 people in the country annually. Drawing on years of research and data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on COPD, mortality rates, smoking, vaping and more, the report is one of the most detailed looks ever at the disease. While the report found that the overall cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults recently reached an all-time low, the next generation of Americans is still faced with new and evolving risk factors that may lead to COPD.  “Our worst fears about vaping are beginning to come true,” said Lung Health Institute Senior Medical Director Dr. Jack Coleman. “During the last decade, youth cigarette smoking reached record lows. But the rapid rise in e-cigarette use threatens to undo years of progress and increase the risk of chronic lung disease among the next generation. State and federal agencies should certainly ban flavored vape products that appeal to children as well as make smoking cessation education a top priority.” In addition to the link between vaping and potential lung diseases, the report also highlights data showing that women tend to suffer higher rates of COPD than men. Female mortality rates from the disease have also not improved compared to those among men in recent years. The report additionally spotlights the dangers facing rural Americans, who are more likely to suffer from and die of COPD. This is particularly troubling given a sharp decline in rural access to health care in recent years as hospitals that serve small communities have shuttered at an alarming rate. The report also identifies the “Troubling 10” states with the highest COPD rates that are not doing enough to combat chronic lung disease. These states, all of which still allow indoor smoking in public places in some form, include:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Oklahoma
• Tennessee
• West Virginia

The report, authored by Coleman and Lung Health Institute Principal Investigator for Research Melissa Rubio, makes several recommendations aimed at combating COPD rates in the coming years. These include strict indoor smoking bans and increases in funding for anti-smoking and anti-vaping campaigns. The authors also recommend raising tobacco costs to reduce youth access and placing more severe, mandatory health warnings on tobacco and e-cigarette packaging. Lastly, the authors urge legislators to completely ban flavored vape products that appeal to children and provide publicly accessible cessation programs for those trying to quit smoking and vaping.  About Lung Health Institute Lung Health Institute leads the industry in regenerative medicine and is among the first cellular therapy providers accredited by The Joint Commission, widely considered the gold standard of quality patient care. Our exclusive focus on and multidisciplinary approach to lung disease yields expert care for every patient, even when conventional treatment isn’t effective or stops working. Offering a variety of programs and services including the Anti-Inflammatory Initiative™ and cellular therapy in several locations across the United States, Lung Health Institute has helped thousands of people with chronic lung disease improve their quality of life and Breathe Easier™. For more information, visit lunginstitute.com.  

Read the Report Now

Lung Health Institute’s COPD Report explains why states made the “Troubling 10” and new evidence to about vaping linked to COPD. To read the full report with graphics, facts and figures and information on the “Troubling 10,” click this link.