Summit County Public Health Urges Residents to Stop Using Vaping Products

CANTON (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – Summit County Public Health officials are urging residents to stop using any vape and/or e-cigarette devices immediately. Six individuals from Ohio, including one from Summit County, have been hospitalized with severe pulmonary illness.

“The one commonality in each of these cases is that there is a vape device present,” says Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager Cory Kendrick. “It’s mostly young adults and teens across the nation (who are involved in the cases). That seems to be the trend.”

At this time, the specifics of the products are unknown. Residents are strongly encouraged to not utilize any vaping products, especially those that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD).

Vaping and e-cigarette products of any kind contain cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metal such as nickel, tin, and lead, and chemical flavorings linked to serious lung disease. The long-term health impacts for using these products are unknown but the immediate dangers of vaping are becoming increasingly evident and alarming in Ohio and across the nation.