Huge EVALI Scare: Over 2,800 People in the US Hospitalised for Vaping

A delve into the causes of the EVALI outbreak in the US to put your fears at ease.

As a vaper, I’m sure you’ve heard of the slew of cases in the US where vapers have been hospitalised—and some have even died—as a result of something called EVALI, otherwise known as E-Cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury. We’re here to shed some light on the causes and dispel any fears you may have. 

As of now, a total of 2,807 people have been hospitalised for EVALI across the US and its territories, and 68 of those cases resulted in death.

The media outlets covering the EVALI subject have been wildly unclear, provoking fear in the hearts of vapers worldwide. Much of the media coverage simply blames “vaping products,” avoiding the true cause in favour of keeping their viewership/readership scared. These media reports are terribly misleading and damaging to the vaping industry—an industry bent on saving smokers from a deadly fate.

We’re here to let you know that if you’re using vape products from a trusted UK retailer like Vape Green, you won’t get EVALI.

What causes EVALI?

Most, if not all, of these EVALI cases were caused by a compound called vitamin E acetate, which has been traced back to a number of black market THC cartridges. At Vape Green, we do not sell any products containing vitamin E acetate, nor have we ever sold any THC-containing products or products listed as having caused these illnesses. 

Traditionally, E-Liquids are made with a base mixture of Propylene Glycol (PG) and/or Vegetable Glycerin (VG). These ingredients have been used safely in E-Liquids for over a decade, and are used in other consumer products that people use every day. For example, PG has been used in asthma inhalers and nebulisers since the 1950’s. Both of these ingredients are considered safe for human consumption by all of the major regulatory agencies in the world. 

When you buy an E-Liquid from Vape Green, the ingredients listed are usually VG, PG, nicotine (if applicable), and flavourings, which are usually suspended in a solution of either VG or PG. That’s it.

What is vitamin E acetate?

Vitamin E acetate is considered safe to eat and use on the skin in the form of lotions, hair products, and other cosmetics. However, vitamin E acetate is not safe to inhale in a vapour form. When inhaled, vitamin E acetate has been linked to impaired lung function.

So, why did someone have the bright idea to load their E-Liquids with vitamin E acetate?

It was used by black market THC cartridge manufacturers because it has roughly the same viscosity as THC oil, and it looks almost identical to the naked eye.

The end product, regardless of the amount of THC oil used, looked the same, which meant that these manufacturers could dilute their cartridges without the customer ever realising—that is, until EVALI struck across the US.

Am I safe from EVALI?

If you purchase your E-Liquids from a trusted retailer like Vape Green and refrain from vaping any illicit THC vape cartridges, you can rest assured that you won’t be at risk of EVALI from vitamin E acetate.

In the UK, all E-Liquids go through a rigorous testing and approval process by MHRA UK, a governing authority responsible for maintaining safety and quality standards on E-Liquids. All nicotine-containing juices in the UK must first be tested and approved by MHRA before they can legally be sold. Their testing process ensures the safety of E-Liquids and their ingredients, as well as compliance with government regulation. 

This is why, for example, you’ll notice that no vape tanks on our website have a capacity above 2ml—because the legal limit on tank size is 2ml. And the reason our nicotine-containing E-Liquids only come in 10ml bottles is because, again, that’s the legal limit. All of the products for sale on our site are regulated and approved for sale.

Vitamin E acetate is among the MHRA’s list of illegal ingredients to use in E-Liquids—which, of course, they test for before approving any E-Liquid for sale. So, if you’re vaping smart and safe, you won’t need to worry about EVALI.

Summary: EVALI Outbreak Leaves the UK (Mostly) Untouched

According to the UK government’s website, only 2 cases of EVALI have been reported in the UK, both within the same timeframe as the outbreak in the US.

The headlines about EVALI are scary, sure. But many of them fail to mention that vaping as a whole is not the cause—it’s the ingredient, vitamin E acetate. 

You can rest easy knowing that when you buy from a trusted UK distributor, the regulations put in place by the UK government will keep you safe from EVALI.

Never vape anything that you buy from a shady or untrusted source, as you can never be certain what ingredients are in it if they haven’t gone through the MHRA’s testing process.

Thankfully, at the time of writing this, the number of cases appears to have plummeted exponentially, which is good news for vapers everywhere.

Revised on 27th January 2022.