Eight teenagers in southeast Wisconsin have been hospitalized for severe lung damage since late June, and doctors believe vaping may be to blame.
Some of those who were hospitalized have responded to treatment and have been released while others are still being treated for lung damage, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Andrew Brodzeller, spokesman for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, said that the only thing linking the teens is that they all vaped.
“It’s the only common thread right now,” Brodzeller said. “It really does point to whatever these kids are inhaling.”
Brodzeller said there is no specific vape brand or flavor of vapor that doctor or officials with the state’s health department have identified.
The news came the same day as Juul Labs co-founder James Monsees spoke before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. He testified as part of a two-part hearing addressing increasing teenage use of nicotine-infused vapor products. Juul is the most popular electronic cigarette company in the U.S.
Although Juuls are billed as healthier alternatives to cigarettes, a Connecticut man recently filed a lawsuit alleging that his frequent use of a Juul caused him to suffer a severe stroke.
