The FDA is currently investigating whether seizures are related to vaping e-cigarettes such as JUUL pens.

What is vaping?

The use of electronic cigarettes, otherwise known as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, has recently gained attention both as way to stop smoking and as a cultural phenomenon. These devices vaporize nicotine “juice” that is often flavored.

E-cigarette juice comes in several different nicotine levels so individuals can easily replace cigarettes with the electronic version while still maintaining their nicotine levels. This may allow them to wean off nicotine slowly.

Youths and young adults have reportedly hopped on this trend, with the JUUL pen becoming a cultural phenomenon. These devices have disposable, nicotine cartridges with tasty flavors that appeal to young individuals. They can also easily be hidden in backpacks and bags, and they often look like a non-threatening USB drive.

Truth Initiative reports, however, that among surveyed teen and young adult users of JUUL pens, only 37 percent knew that the products contain nicotine. This means that many young people may be using e-cigarettes without knowing that the devices could be addictive and damaging to their health.

Is it safe to vape?

Although e-cigarettes are generally considered to be safer than traditional cigarettes, the e-cig juice used with the devices is relatively unregulated.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), e-cigarette fluids may contain a variety of harmful chemicals including:

• Formaldehyde, acrolein, and acetaldehyde, which can lead to irreversible lung damage;
• Nickel, lead, chromium, and other toxic metal particles; and
• Toxic chemicals such as acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, and crotonaldehyde.

In addition to these harmful chemicals, vape devices such as JUUL pens release a massive amount of nicotine. Nicotine is an incredibly addictive substance, especially for young teens targeted by the JUUL cultural trend. The FDA warns that developing brains may be at an increased risk for addiction.

For individuals who are trying to stop smoking, e-cigarettes are advertised as a great alternative to traditional cigarettes that purportedly contain fewer toxins. However, vape pens are not officially approved for smoking cessation. 

The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that vape pens contain nicotine salts from tobacco leaves which are absorbed into the body at around the same rate as nicotine from traditional cigarettes, but they do not produce the “irritating feeling in the chest and lungs that combustible cigarettes do.” As a result, vape pen uses, many of whom are teens, may consume more of the product because it is less unpleasant to consume. 

Healthline quotes Andrea Spatarella, DNP of the Northwell Health Center for Tobacco Control in Great Neck, N.Y., who says, “Because of irregularities in nicotine labeling on some e-cigarette/vaping devices, and due to the highly concentrated formulation of the e-liquid that is used in some of the devices, an individual may be consuming more nicotine than they realize and put themselves at risk for considerable health risks.”

Additionally, Poison Control notes that liquid nicotine is deadly if swallowed because it is highly concentrated and is easily absorbed into the body if it is swallowed. 

Can vaping cause seizures?

The FDA recently revealed that e-cigarette users had reported suffering from seizures after using vape products such as JUUL pens. Between 2010 and 2019, poison control and the FDA reportedly received 35 reports of seizures in connection with the use of e-cigarettes. These reports were voluntary and the FDA notes that “there may be more instances” that were not reported.

A variety of factors were in play in these reports. Some of the reports involved first time users while other involved habitual e-cigarette users. A few of the cases involved other substances such as marijuana and amphetamines.

What does the FDA think?

The FDA has yet to come to a formal conclusion at this point, but the agency says it will continue to investigate the issue. Although the agency cannot definitely tell the public that vape products are related to seizures, their announcement aims to keep individuals appraised of the situation.

“We want to be clear that we don’t yet know if there’s a direct relationship between the use of e-cigarettes and a risk of seizure. We can’t yet say for certain that e-cigarettes are causing these seizures,” said former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in a press announcement. “We’re sharing this early information with the public because as a public health agency, it’s our job to communicate about potential safety concerns associated with the products we regulate that are under scientific investigation by the agency.”

In January 2020, Dr. Neal Benowitz, a researcher from the University of California San Francisco, published an editorial in the Journal of Adolescent Health examining the risks of seizures with youth vaping. Benowitz agreed with the FDA’s stance that further investigation was needed based on concerns that the nicotine found in e-cigarette products could have a seizure-causing effect.

Although seizures can occur as a result of nicotine poisoning, Benowitz noted that underlying seizure conditions could also be a cause for the reports. The editorial also opined that most of the ingredients found in vaping fluids are not immediately concerning in terms of causing seizures.

“However, the possibility of neurological events reported by young vapers should not be ignored,” Benowitz warned.

According to the researcher, the best way to address concerns about youth seizures with e-cigarette use is to “eliminate vaping by nonsmoking youth.” He notes that public health authorities and politicians have started to campaign for reducing the use of e-cigarettes in young people as well as limiting the availability of these products in gas stations and convenience stores. Many of these measures were pushed with a renewed vigor when the vaping-related lung illness swept through the country last year.

However, Benowitz stresses that e-cigarettes can be valuable to smoking adults as a cessation aid. According to the researcher, vaping control measures should not completely outlaw these devices.

“It makes most sense to focus on limiting youth access rather than banning e-cigarettes completely,” Benowitz concluded. “Hopefully, in this way, youth can be protected from harm while supporting the potential benefits of [e-cigarettes] in reducing the devastating harms from smoking in adults.”

Join a free JUUL e-cigarette class action lawsuit investigation

If you or your child suffered seizures after vaping with a JUUL e-cigarette, you may benefit from participating in a free JUUL class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.