ENDS EVALI VALI THCVALI: Difference between revisions
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<big>'''“E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury” (EVALI) -- Right Illness, Wrong Name. Will The CDC Correct It?'''</big> | |||
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The 2019–2020 outbreak of acute lung injuries in the United States was real. The name given to it was the problem. | |||
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named the outbreak “E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury,” or EVALI. That name embedded e-cigarettes and vaping into the medical language of the outbreak, even as clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological evidence increasingly pointed to vitamin E acetate in illicit, unregulated THC cartridges, not standard nicotine e-cigarettes. | |||
The harm from the name “EVALI” did not end when the outbreak ended. By conflating nicotine vapor products with illicit THC cartridges, public health messaging distorted risk perceptions, contributed to widespread misunderstanding, and left many people believing that regulated nicotine vaping caused the injuries. That confusion affected many people. People who had switched from combustible tobacco to nicotine vaping went back to smoking. Some people who smoked tobacco became leery of switching. People using unregulated THC carts may not have recognized quickly enough that the warnings applied to the products they were using. With better messaging, some of the illnesses and deaths might have been averted. | |||
This page documents efforts to get the CDC to correct that name, the consequences of leaving it unchanged, the scientific evidence identifying the source of the outbreak, and the people who tried to correct the record in real time. It does this by bringing together journal articles, formal policy critiques, media analysis, public health statements, and consumer-led documentation to show how one imprecise name became a lasting public health communication failure. | |||
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='''CDC and the term "EVALI"'''= | ='''CDC and the term "EVALI"'''= | ||
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==Articles, Op-Eds, Blogs, Media== | ==Articles, Op-Eds, Blogs, Media== | ||
===2022: [https://medium.com/the-great-vape-debate/the-cdcs-evali-screwup-ff09f4c3e187 The CDC’s EVALI screwup]=== | |||
*There’s no shame in being wrong. We all make mistakes. It is, however, shameful to fail to admit and correct a mistake — especially when lives are at stake. | |||
**Citation: Gunther, M. (2022, January 17). The CDC’s EVALI screwup. The Great Vape Debate. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
===2026: [https://filtermag.org/cdc-abandon-evali/ Will the CDC Finally Abandon the Damaging Term “EVALI”?]=== | |||
*The CDC cannot undo the frightened headlines from 2019. It cannot reopen the vape shops that went under because of the panic. It cannot persuade every person who went back to cigarettes because they were falsely told, directly or by implication, that nicotine vaping had caused a wave of damaged lungs and death. But it can stop repeating the mistake. | |||
**Citation: Murray, K. “Skip.” (2026, April 16). Will the CDC finally abandon the damaging term “EVALI”? Filter. Retrieved June 6, 2026 | |||
===2026: [https://www.cannabinoidsandthepeople.whitewhalecreations.com/p/stigma-more-anesthesia-cud-chs-and Harm reduction: US overdoses down everywhere except the West + CDC should abandon the term “EVALI”]=== | |||
*Basically, this EVALI phenomenon has now been linked distinctly to tainted illicit THC vape cartridges that contained vitamin E acetate, but ever since the confusion of when this story broke, EVALI has become associated with legal nicotine e-cigarettes. This is detrimental to public health because, despite the hand-wringing you might see in some places, vaping nicotine instead of smoking tobacco is a huge public-health win. But misunderstandings around the term EVALI have led to a reduction in nicotine vaping in favor of tobacco smoking. The CDC needs to fix this. | |||
**Citation: Pelger, L. (2026, May 18). Stigma, more anesthesia, CUD, CHS & the War on Drugs. Cannabinoids & the People. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
===2026: [https://www.disobedientmargins.com/p/the-name-we-choose-for-what-happened The Name We Choose for What Happened]=== | ===2026: [https://www.disobedientmargins.com/p/the-name-we-choose-for-what-happened The Name We Choose for What Happened]=== | ||
*As of April 2026, it is still possible to find headlines around the world linking lung injuries from the 2019 outbreak to nicotine e-cigarettes. The name continues to do the work that the evidence has already undone. | *As of April 2026, it is still possible to find headlines around the world linking lung injuries from the 2019 outbreak to nicotine e-cigarettes. The name continues to do the work that the evidence has already undone. | ||
**Citation: Teixeira, C. (2026, June 4). The name we choose for what happened. Disobedient Margins, Substack. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | **Citation: Teixeira, C. (2026, June 4). The name we choose for what happened. Disobedient Margins, Substack. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | ||
='''Misperceptions, Misinformation, Disinformation'''= | ='''Misperceptions, Misinformation, Disinformation'''= | ||
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**Citation: Barros EM, Ferreira AC, Neelon B, Ravenel IE, Carpenter MJ, Smith TT. Shifting perceptions of e-cigarette risk: A secondary analysis from a nationwide, randomized controlled clinical trial of e-cigarettes among smokers. Addict Behav. 2026 Jul;178:108672. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108672. Epub 2026 Mar 15. PMID: 41865464. | **Citation: Barros EM, Ferreira AC, Neelon B, Ravenel IE, Carpenter MJ, Smith TT. Shifting perceptions of e-cigarette risk: A secondary analysis from a nationwide, randomized controlled clinical trial of e-cigarettes among smokers. Addict Behav. 2026 Jul;178:108672. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108672. Epub 2026 Mar 15. PMID: 41865464. | ||
***Acknowledgment: Funding for the parent study was provided by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA210625 to MJC). Ms. Barros was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25DA020537). Ms. Ravenel was supported by the SC CHEER YES program funded by Hollings Cancer Center and TD Bank. MJC has served as a paid expert in e-cigarette litigation within the past 3 years. | ***Acknowledgment: Funding for the parent study was provided by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA210625 to MJC). Ms. Barros was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25DA020537). Ms. Ravenel was supported by the SC CHEER YES program funded by Hollings Cancer Center and TD Bank. MJC has served as a paid expert in e-cigarette litigation within the past 3 years. | ||
===2025: [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12306916/ Media Reports and Knowledge of e-Cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury Among Adolescents in California: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study]=== | |||
*Of 19,661 news reports on Tobacco Watcher that discussed EVALI, 55.9% mentioned cannabis. Among the 157,499 middle and high school students participating in the statewide survey in California, 75% had heard about EVALI. The awareness level was similarly high for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders (75.7%, 74.6%, and 74.8%, respectively). Their primary source of knowledge about EVALI was media (63.1%), followed by parents (16.6%), teachers (8.1%), friends (7.7%), and peers (4.6%). Most students, 55%, believed nicotine was the cause of EVALI, while only 11% thought it was related to cannabis in vapes. | |||
**Citation: Wang J, Ayers J, Leas E, Gamst A, Zhu SH. Media Reports and Knowledge of e-Cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury Among Adolescents in California: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Jul 29;27:e69151. doi: 10.2196/69151. PMID: 40729669; PMCID: PMC12306916. | |||
**Acknowledgment: JA is one of the creators of tobaccowatcher.org, a project of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for the Bloomberg Philanthropies. | |||
===2023: [https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/32/e2/e255 Over 1 year later: smokers’ EVALI awareness, knowledge and perceived impact on e-cigarette interest]=== | ===2023: [https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/32/e2/e255 Over 1 year later: smokers’ EVALI awareness, knowledge and perceived impact on e-cigarette interest]=== | ||
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**Citation: Katchmar, A., Shafer, P. & Siegel, M. Analysis of state portrayals of the risks of e-cigarette use and the cause of the EVALI outbreak. Harm Reduct J 19, 112 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00694-6 | **Citation: Katchmar, A., Shafer, P. & Siegel, M. Analysis of state portrayals of the risks of e-cigarette use and the cause of the EVALI outbreak. Harm Reduct J 19, 112 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00694-6 | ||
***Acknowledgment: This work was supported by a supplies grant from the Kilachand Honor’s College at Boston University. The College did not review this work prior to submission. | ***Acknowledgment: This work was supported by a supplies grant from the Kilachand Honor’s College at Boston University. The College did not review this work prior to submission. | ||
===2022: [https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w30255/w30255.pdf MISINFORMATION, CONSUMER RISK PERCEPTIONS, AND MARKETS: THE IMPACT OF AN INFORMATION SHOCK ON VAPING AND SMOKING CESSATION]=== | |||
*We estimate that the misinformation shock created by the EVALI outbreak reduced ecigarette demand by 24-36 percent. Our results echo earlier research that finds that information shocks in the 1950s and 1960s reduced cigarette demand (Schneider, Klein, and Murphy 1981). However, in the 1950s and 1960s many consumers were unaware of the health consequences of smoking and altered their behavior when accurate information on health risks became available. The earlier information shocks thus helped to correct consumer mistakes and improved consumer health and welfare. In contrast, in the 2010s many consumers were either uninformed or already mistakenly believed that e-cigarettes were riskier than smoking. The EVALI information shock exacerbated consumer mistakes and likely worsened consumer health and welfare. Based on a population health model, we predict that over the next 50 years the EVALI information shock will lead to 450,000 life years lost due to deterred smoking cessation. As points of comparison, the CDC reports that seat belts saved almost 13,000 lives in 2009 and an estimated 255,000 lives from 1975 through 2009.31 Preventing EVALI entirely might have been very difficult, but a different set of risk communication policies could have prevented some of the pre-existing misinformation and some of the EVALI misinformation shock. | |||
**Citation: Jin, L., Kenkel, D. S., Lovenheim, M. F., Mathios, A. D., & Wang, H. (2022). Misinformation, consumer risk perceptions, and markets: The impact of an information shock on vaping and smoking cessation (NBER Working Paper No. 30255). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w30255 | |||
***Acknowledgment: Produced with the help of a grant to Cornell University from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (FSFW), a U.S. nonprofit 501(c) (3) private foundation. This study is, under the terms of the grant agreement with FSFW, editorially independent of FSFW. The FSFW had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The contents, selection, and presentation of facts, as well as any opinions expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the authors and under no circumstances shall be regarded as reflecting the positions of FSFW. FSFW accepts charitable gifts from PMI Global Services Inc. (PMI), which manufactures cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under FSFW’s Bylaws and Pledge Agreement with PMI, FSFW is independent from PMI and the tobacco industry. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. | |||
===2022: Comments RE: [https://pubpeer.com/publications/053A4DD87764E36C0B9FF00B260480 Discussions of Flavored ENDS Sales Restrictions: Themes Related to Circumventing Policies on Reddit]=== | |||
*This article incorrectly states, “In the wake of the e-cigarette or vaping use-related lung injury (EVALI) outbreak in September 2019, electronic cigarette manufacturer JUUL voluntarily removed flavored pods aside from tobacco and menthol from the U.S. market” That sentence is false and creates a factually inaccurate and damaging link in a reader’s mind between JUUL products and the 2019 lung injuries (EVALI) when none exists. In fact, Juul Labs reduced its flavor portfolio to tobacco and menthol to combat underage use and the ingredients of JUUL products do not include vitamin E compounds or THC that were primarily linked to EVALI. (Murillo) | |||
**Referring to: Silver N, Kucherlapaty P, Kostygina G, Tran H, Feng M, Emery S, Schillo B. Discussions of Flavored ENDS Sales Restrictions: Themes Related to Circumventing Policies on Reddit. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 23;19(13):7668. PMID: 35805325; PMCID: PMC9266029. [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137668 doi: 10.3390/ijerph19137668] | |||
===2021: [https://www.qeios.com/read/ZGVHM7.3 The outbreak of lung injuries often known as "EVALI" was nothing to do with nicotine vaping]=== | ===2021: [https://www.qeios.com/read/ZGVHM7.3 The outbreak of lung injuries often known as "EVALI" was nothing to do with nicotine vaping]=== | ||
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*The authors, who include Ken Warner of the University of Michigan, Nancy Rigotti of Harvard Medical School and Thomas Miller, the departing attorney general of Iowa, also call on the CDC to correct the name “EVALI,” or “e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injury”—the outbreak that peaked in the fall of 2019. Originally and loudly misattributed to nicotine vaping products, the condition has since been linked to vitamin E acetate, a cutting agent found in illicit THC cartridges. Even now, US public health agencies have not explicitly corrected the record. | *The authors, who include Ken Warner of the University of Michigan, Nancy Rigotti of Harvard Medical School and Thomas Miller, the departing attorney general of Iowa, also call on the CDC to correct the name “EVALI,” or “e-cigarette, or vaping, product-use associated lung injury”—the outbreak that peaked in the fall of 2019. Originally and loudly misattributed to nicotine vaping products, the condition has since been linked to vitamin E acetate, a cutting agent found in illicit THC cartridges. Even now, US public health agencies have not explicitly corrected the record. | ||
**Citation: Norcia, A. (2022, December 15). End vape misinformation, tobacco control experts urge Surgeon General. Filter. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | **Citation: Norcia, A. (2022, December 15). End vape misinformation, tobacco control experts urge Surgeon General. Filter. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | ||
===2021: [https://filtermag.org/evali-misinformation-increased-smoking/ New Evidence Links “EVALI” Vaping Misinformation With Increased Cigarette Smoking]=== | |||
*A new study now suggests that legislation arising from misstatements about EVALI and e-cigarettes in Massachusetts actually caused an increase in cigarette consumption throughout Boston. | |||
**Citation: Norcia, A. (2021, May 7). New evidence links “EVALI” vaping misinformation with increased cigarette smoking. Filter. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
===2020: [https://morningconsult.com/2020/02/05/electronic-cigarettes-increasingly-blamed-by-public-for-lung-illnesses-even-as-evidence-points-elsewhere/ Electronic Cigarettes Increasingly Blamed for Lung Illnesses, as Evidence Points Elsewhere]=== | ===2020: [https://morningconsult.com/2020/02/05/electronic-cigarettes-increasingly-blamed-by-public-for-lung-illnesses-even-as-evidence-points-elsewhere/ Electronic Cigarettes Increasingly Blamed for Lung Illnesses, as Evidence Points Elsewhere]=== | ||
*CDC identified THC vapes with vitamin E acetate as culprit, but 66% of adults blame e-cigarettes for vaping deaths | *CDC identified THC vapes with vitamin E acetate as culprit, but 66% of adults blame e-cigarettes for vaping deaths | ||
**Citation: Wilson, S. (2020, February 5). E-cigarettes increasingly blamed for lung illnesses, as evidence points elsewhere. Morning Consult. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | **Citation: Wilson, S. (2020, February 5). E-cigarettes increasingly blamed for lung illnesses, as evidence points elsewhere. Morning Consult. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | ||
===2019: [https://reason.com/2019/10/09/muddled-message-about-vaping-causes-costly-confusion/ Muddled Message About Vaping Causes Costly Confusion]=== | |||
*Vague lung disease warnings tar harm-reducing e-cigarettes while obscuring the role of black-market cannabis products. | |||
**Citation: Sullum, J. (2019, October 9). Muddled message about vaping causes costly confusion. Reason. Retrieved June 7, 2026 | |||
==Tweets== | ==Tweets== | ||
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*My point is simply if you know a THC product hurt someone, don’t call it an e-cigarette, call it a THC vape or THC vaping product. Nomenclature matters in helping consumers properly identify which products are causing which kinds of risks. That’s why we develop naming systems. | *My point is simply if you know a THC product hurt someone, don’t call it an e-cigarette, call it a THC vape or THC vaping product. Nomenclature matters in helping consumers properly identify which products are causing which kinds of risks. That’s why we develop naming systems. | ||
==Community Notes on X (Formerly Twitter)== | ==Community Notes - EVALI Misinformation on X (Formerly Twitter)== | ||
. | The misinformation about nicotine vaping and EVALI continues to spread around the globe years after the outbreak. The tweets below have a [https://x.com/i/communitynotes/about Community Note (CN)] that got enough votes to be made public. Anyone can see them and vote on them. There are many more tweets where the CN does not yet have enough votes. And there are 100s more (maybe 1000s!) without a community note. Community Notes are a way to help correct misinformation, and became [https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg_6d9005c7-f4ea-4f13-a8b3-0a6158fccc27?rid=535a5f53-cc73-4cd8-8655-5b407d99314b available] to most users late in 2022. | ||
===2026=== | |||
*May 2: [https://x.com/ChronosIntelX/status/2050460076302119243 Chronos Intelligence @ChronosIntelX] (5816 followers) | |||
*May 1: [https://x.com/forallcurious/status/2050433667282219081 All day Astronomy @forallcurious] (453.5K followers) | |||
*April 11: [https://x.com/A3Noticias/status/2043066564996407378 Antena 3 Noticias @A3Noticias] (2M followers) | |||
*February 3: [https://x.com/argosaki/status/2018870277107822947 GP Q @argosaki] (127.3K followers) | |||
*February 3: [https://x.com/ClevelandClinic/status/2018713096404267388 Cleveland Clinic @ClevelandClinic] (1.7M followers) | |||
===2025=== | |||
*December 24: [https://x.com/hemo_shk/status/2004010818732781789 Dr.Haitham Hamoud @hemo_shk] (17.8K followers) | |||
*December 9: [https://x.com/drkaanyl/status/1998470605461701007 Prof. Dr. Kaan Yılancıoğlu @drkaanyl] (215.2K followers) | |||
*December 2: [https://x.com/wdunlap/status/1995892820163658065 Wayne Dunlap @wdunlap] (250.1K followers) | |||
*May 17: [https://x.com/DarrenPlymouth/status/1923710684556055002 Darren of Plymouth @DarrenPlymouth] (126.4K followers) | |||
*May 6: [https://x.com/GMB/status/1919641214422253759 Good Morning Britain @GMB] (1M followers) | |||
*March 26: [https://x.com/j00ny369T/status/1904861513527013715 Johnny @j00ny369T] (221.7K followers) | |||
*Febrary 17: [https://x.com/LungAssociation/status/1891553473210057206 American Lung Association @LungAssociation] (44.6K followers) | |||
===2024=== | |||
*November 13: [https://x.com/BreakMyCoffee/status/1856902175844438254 The Coffee Break | Grow Smarter Daily @BreakMyCoffee] (19.8K followers) | |||
*May 16: [https://x.com/MillsHayesTV/status/1791133326461313070 Mills Hayes @MillsHayesTV] (5,099 followers) | |||
*May 16: [https://x.com/FoxNews/status/1791205781892645038 Fox News @FoxNews] (29.1M followers) | |||
*April 23: [https://x.com/BFHD/status/1782912224597840165 Benton-Franklin Health District @BFHD] (1,542 followers) | |||
==Expert Testimony== | ==Expert Testimony== | ||
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*Covers 12 key points including EVALI | *Covers 12 key points including EVALI | ||
='''Lung Injury Research | ='''Lung Injury Research EVALI and Coverage of the Cause'''= | ||
*Newest to oldest. These are quotes from the linked sources. | *Newest to oldest. These are quotes from the linked sources. | ||
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*Our concern is that the responses we have seen to the problem in the US and in other countries may increase the already widespread misunderstanding about the relative safety of nicotine e-cigarettes, deterring smokers from switching and risk driving vapers who have switched back to smoking. There is a real risk therefore that such a reaction will mean people continue to smoke, which will undoubtedly put lives at risk. | *Our concern is that the responses we have seen to the problem in the US and in other countries may increase the already widespread misunderstanding about the relative safety of nicotine e-cigarettes, deterring smokers from switching and risk driving vapers who have switched back to smoking. There is a real risk therefore that such a reaction will mean people continue to smoke, which will undoubtedly put lives at risk. | ||
**Citation: Newton, J. (2019, October 29). Vaping and lung disease in the US: PHE’s advice. UK Health Security Agency. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | **Citation: Newton, J. (2019, October 29). Vaping and lung disease in the US: PHE’s advice. UK Health Security Agency. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | ||
===2019: [https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/58581-dank-vapes Dank Vapes Is the "Biggest Conspiracy" in Pot That Can Put You in a Coma]=== | |||
*(Note: This is a long investigative article that will educate readers on how hard it is to track down sellers in an unregulated market or illicit sellers in a regulated one.) | |||
*The vapor product DeGrave showed to reporters was distilled from cannabis. But it was also apparently made by the “company” Dank Vapes — an elusive, black-market brand that’s as tricky to pin down as vapor. | |||
*Dank Vapes is not the only black market product that have made people sick, but it is most commonly used product. In September, the CDC released a report that described the spread of EVALI in Wisconsin and Illinois. Fifty-seven of the 86 people with EVALI in that survey reported using Dank Vapes. A report in Utah also noted that Dank Vapes were the most popular black market product used by people with EVALI. | |||
**Citation: Betuel, E. (2019, November 15). Dank Vapes is the “biggest conspiracy” in pot that can put you in a coma. Inverse. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
===2019: [https://news.sky.com/story/us-vaping-deaths-linked-to-thc-not-nicotine-11848431 US vaping deaths linked to THC - not nicotine]=== | ===2019: [https://news.sky.com/story/us-vaping-deaths-linked-to-thc-not-nicotine-11848431 US vaping deaths linked to THC - not nicotine]=== | ||
*A series of vaping deaths in the US have been linked to THC, the illegal psychoactive compound in cannabis, and not legal nicotine. | *A series of vaping deaths in the US have been linked to THC, the illegal psychoactive compound in cannabis, and not legal nicotine. | ||
**Citation: Sky News. (2019, October 29). US vaping deaths linked to THC—not nicotine. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
===2019: [https://www.inverse.com/science/59207-vitamin-e-acetate-thc-vapes A Thickener Used in Pot Vaping Is a Hugely Popular Black-Market Scam]=== | |||
*(Note: This is a long and informative article that gives a lot of background into how Vitamin E Acetate ended up being a thickening agent, several companies involved, what they did when it was suspected it might be the cause of lung injuries, what companies were transparent and which ones weren't.) | |||
*Sources familiar with the black market THC vape economy tell Inverse that vitamin E acetate is a newcomer — the “thickener” that in some circles was marketed as a “perfect” way to cut THC distillates to make them appear high quality. | |||
*...thick oils are coveted — and sometimes thickeners are used to help mimic the look of high-quality distillate... | |||
*Traditional cuts might have included medium chain triglycerides (MCT) — a component that’s found in coconut oil, for instance. But they also include an excess of terpenes or cuts that are more commonly associated with e-cigarettes, like vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol. More recently, vitamin E acetate has emerged as a new alternative because it offers an even thicker cut that allows sellers to beat the “bubble test,” a way that consumers used to be able to judge a quality distillate. | |||
*Ronay says that his lab will test for vitamin E acetate in vaporizer cartridges in light of the investigation into the thickeners. They expect to have those tests up and running in the next few weeks. Before this, vitamin E wasn’t something labs even knew to test for. | |||
*Several companies advertise branded thickening agents containing vitamin E acetate or other, sometimes unspecified ingredients. Brands like “Honey Cut,” an “all-natural” thickening agent, can be found on ebay. But there are many other thickening manufacturers out there. The Candy Cut, for instance, is a company reportedly based out of Tampa, Florida, claiming to sell thickening and cutting agents by the half-gallon but doesn’t disclose what is actually in them. | |||
**Citation: Betuel, E. (2019, September 13). A thickener used in pot vaping is a hugely popular black-market scam. Inverse. Retrieved June 6, 2026. | |||
='''EVALI outbreak — Consumer-led research, warnings, and pushback'''= | |||
===Mysterious "vape" illnesses and THC cutting agents=== | |||
*When the news broke of vaping lung injuries, consumers started doing their own research, often discussing their findings in Facebook chat groups. Here are some of the compiled notes as they started looking for patterns that might indicate a cause. | |||
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JOD0wBm_lZRmsTwGpkzFFaVXry23T46YMk_8enIFiQw/edit?usp=sharing THC Cutting Agents] | |||
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BMqv26yghILkKpKf%20POhNKQfLV3qFn8JfPEQbBBJN84/edit?usp=sharing Mysterious Lung Issues] | |||
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KeEEsLg9spwI5UigtfYDQwzc8OINZyRkdIBJaFKSvOE/edit?usp=sharing MN, WI, TX, etc - illegal THC carts] | |||
===“DANKing” — A consumer-coined term to distinguish illicit THC carts from nicotine vaping=== | |||
*As the very real concern about the "vaping" illnesses and deaths spread, some states and cities moved quickly to ban nicotine vapes, or at least ban the flavors. They seemed to be unaware or ignored that it was unregulated THC products that were causing the outbreak. Consumers knew that the public needed an easy way to differentiate between THC and nicotine. Because so many illnesses were linked to a fake brand called "[https://www.wtvr.com/2019/09/27/in-lung-illness-outbreak-signs-point-to-majority-of-patients-vaping-thc-products Dank Vapes]," Andre Thov coined the term "DANKing." (See [https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BNi6XLKdM/ comments] on this Facebook post.) Consumers began using the term on social media. | |||
**Thov entered the term on [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Danking Urban Dictionary]. | |||
**Advocates wrote reports and press releases, sometimes using the term "danking," to educate the public (often more strongly than public health or the CDC did). Examples: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w7ErqSmO-moRR0ExYBCSEy0Bc_yGwxfjlYq7kH_bnEk/edit?usp=sharing “DANKing”, the frightening trend that’s making people sick!] and [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PDihlSLQjE0VmDDtwftTsSPqByAv3T8cHlZpnN4NXAQ/edit?usp=sharing For Immediate Release From: Tobacco Harm Reduction 4Life Public Health Warning] | |||
*At times, people with lived experience ("consumers") can feel unseen and unheard. They don't always know the power of their voices. Can they influence the conversation? They got their answer when they saw the word used on websites and media sources: | |||
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exRRX0xrKvE Deadly Pesticides Found In Counterfeit Vaping Products | TODAY]. | |||
**Erin Mills, affiliated with PAVe (Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes), [https://x.com/NYSMom4Kiddos/status/1171472581452419072 tweeted #danking]. | |||
**A 2019 webpage titled “FAQs about the vaping lung illness epidemic” on VapingHealthRisk.com used the term “danking” in reference to THC or marijuana vaping products. The page is no longer available at its original URL; a current attempt to access it returns a 502 Bad Gateway error. The original URL was: https://vapinghealthrisk.com/faqs-about-the-vaping-lung-illness-epidemic/. A screenshot of the FAQ text reads: "Are vaping THC or marijuana (aka danking) products worse than nicotine e-cigarettes? Maybe. It appears as if THC and marijuana-related vaping or e-cigarette products may increase the risk of vaping lung diseases. The CDC reports the following usage patterns in the 30 days prior to becoming sick:" (the screenshot does not include the list) | |||
*Dray Moorman, who is both a consumer and a small business advocate, used the term in an Op-Ed published by NEWSMAX: [https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/vape-vote-vaping-voters-trump/2019/10/11/id/936690/ Dray Moorman: Vape Vote Could Outweigh Impeachment Damage in 2020]. In part, it said: "Smoking black market oil is called danking. THC oil made in a drug dealer’s kitchen has nothing to do with e-cigs. Yet, opportunists and mainstream media are exploiting tragedy to attack vaping. And by doing so, they may be trying to force President Trump to alienate 12 million voters." | |||
*Did those consumers have a lasting impact? While it was a thrill to have an influence on the narrative, most of them felt it wasn't big enough. But, perhaps, it was bigger than they thought. A 2025 WRTV Indianapolis article suggested the term may have had more staying power than consumers realized. In [https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/vape-shop-owner-shares-tips-to-avoid-black-market-products Vape shop owner shares tips to avoid black market products], Eskenazi Health Pulmonary Physician Graham Carlos said health officials haven't seen incidents like this since 2019. "People were what's called 'dabbing and danking.' That's when you add things to the pens and there was no regulation," | |||
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[[File:Danking Today.png|center]] | |||
===Ongoing misinformation and loss of trust=== | |||
Consumers are still struggling to trust the CDC. They are left wondering why it was they who had to take to social media to warn the public about the danger of unregulated THC carts cut with vitamin E acetate. They are also left wondering why vape shops had to tell customers that their cannabis use was their own business, but that until things got sorted out, they should smoke cannabis instead of vaping it. Why were consumers and shops quicker at getting the word out than the CDC? Those consumers are left wondering if that was the right time for the CDC to practice the "precautionary principle?" | |||
To this day, consumers and academics use up considerable amounts of their free time, pushing back against misinformation that is keeping some people trapped in smoking tobacco. "EVALI" is still something weaponized, fueling a moral panic about nicotine vaping, and encouraging policymakers to raise taxes and/or ban the products. The CDC's lack of urgency in addressing the source of the misinformation means the word "EVALI" keeps consumers from trusting anything the CDC says. | |||
='''Suggestions to add to this page'''= | |||
[[Category:Studies, Surveys, and Papers]] | [[Category:Studies, Surveys, and Papers]] | ||
[[Category:Media - Movies, Videos, Vlogs, Blogs, OpEds, News, etc.]] | [[Category:Media - Movies, Videos, Vlogs, Blogs, OpEds, News, etc.]] | ||