A 16-year-old teenager from Rechovot was hospitalized on Tuesday evening in the pediatric intensive care unit at Kaplan Medical Center after suffering respiratory failure due to smoking an e-cigarette.
The incident comes less than three weeks after the death of Meidan (Mordechai) Baruch-Keller, z’l, 16, who was attached to an ECMO machine after suffering serious lung damage due to vaping.
Fortunately, the current case is less serious than that of Meidan, z’l, and the teen does not need to be connected to an ECMO machine.
A statement from the hospital said that “the teen is hospitalized with suspected EVALI (E-Cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury) which is still being tested. The teen said that he smoked e-cigarettes. He arrived at the hospital suffering from respiratory failure, is currently hospitalized in moderate condition, and is receiving supportive care.”
The Israel Cancer Association stated: “We wish the teen a speedy recovery and send our support to his family. Vaping has become a dangerous epidemic among children and youth in Israel that continues to claim victims. It is essential that parents are aware of the symptoms and harm they cause. It is a dangerous and addictive product that creates physical and mental dependence and causes serious health issues.”
“We call on the members of the Knesset and the government to consider a complete ban on the import of disposable electronic cigarettes and flavored electronic cigarettes, similar to dozens of countries that have already implemented this ban, and also call on the Israel Police to conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the sale of these products to minors. We are in a very difficult period and difficult times require decisive measures.”
The Health Ministry stated in response to the case: “Unfortunately, within a few weeks, another 16-year-old boy is hospitalized due to the use of electronic cigarettes. This is a wake-up call and the Health Ministry is determined to act in order to reduce the use of electronic cigarettes. In the wake of the dimensions of the spread of the phenomenon, the ministry is examining all possible measures and is working in many ways in order to raise awareness of the dangers of using these products.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Did he mix his own flavors? Very important question
EVALI is caused by contaminated back-market THC liquids. There’s a reason why both of these cases are teenagers of the same age.
I’ll tell you what the real issue is: Israel pharmaco vigilence systeme. For those who try to quit smoking, those juul and vapors have been over advertised. No nicotine gum available in Israel, why? It might a little less deadly than those e-cig. Those vaps cause infertility and yet you see all the Israelis pulling out their jull like it was the best toy to play with, ever.
There is mercury in the battery, this is what those kids are inhaling.
We need the government to blow a few shekels to educate the youth that smoking and vaping is dangerous to health.
@zaltzvasser:
That can be a likely cause. Although, even if he did not mix them himself, but bought the juice from someone who mixed it cheaply, there is a likelihood of them using oils containing vitamin E acetate
@zvei dinim:
While you are correct that in the past many EVALI cases were affiliated with black market thc vapes, it is not the thc that causes EVALI, it is the vitamin E acetate found in certain oils which some juice producers use as a cheap thickener.
@zetruth:
I don’t know what you have been smoking but vapes typically use lithium batteries which do not contain mercury. Even if they would contain mercury, your claim that the mercury could magically leap from the battery to the vapor doesn’t sound particularly likely.
@fakenews are you a representative for e-cigs?
@Zetruth and what flavor e-cig do you vape? or is it the booze you had for breakfast?