A high-school-aged youth has been diagnosed with “severe respiratory illness,” and was on life support, but is now recovering, said Dr. Christopher Mackie, CEO of the health unit, in a press conference Wednesday. Mackie declined to specify the brand of the vape used and whether it contained cannabis. Seven deaths have been reported in the U.S., in cases mainly involving black-market vapes that contained THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. (The Logic, Gizmodo)
Talking point: Health Canada issued a vaping warning two weeks ago amid reports of the U.S. cases, advising users to monitor themselves for symptoms of pulmonary illness, like coughing and shortness of breath. Canada legalized vaping in May 2018, and the usage of e-cigarettes among teens has risen by 74 per cent since then, according to a University of Waterloo study. Health Canada is currently considering new restrictions on advertising to curb youth vaping, including on social media and at checkout in stores. It’s also considering adding more flavours to its banned list, which currently includes confectionary, dessert, cannabis, soft drink and energy drink flavours. In the U.S., President Donald Trump has stepped into the regulatory process, ordering the Food and Drug Administration to ban all flavoured e-cigarettes.