Early Signs of Vaping Health Risks Were Missed or Ignored
Doctors and researchers scattered around the globe saw problems, but ‘nobody put two and two together’
E-cigarettes and refill cartridges are displayed at a store in Princeton, Illinois. Early indications that vaping could lead to lung disease weren’t immediately recognized as a hints of a larger problem, documents and medical articles suggest.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergScientists, regulators and e-cigarette proponents missed, ignored or downplayed signs that vaping could significantly damage the lungs for nearly a decade, a review of medical literature, government documents and interviews with doctors shows.
At least 15 incidents of lung injuries linked to vaping occurred prior to this year’s epidemic, a review by Bloomberg News found. The cases — spanning the globe from Guam to Japan to England to the U.S. — include reports of mysterious pneumonia and fatal bleeding from tiny air sacs.