Major Study Released During Nationwide Vape Panic Has Been Retracted

In June 2019 – just a few months into the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths (and subsequent panic) – the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) published a study that concluded that e-cigarette use puts people at increased risk of having a heart attack. Now, the editors are retracting the peer-reviewed publication because they are “concerned that the study conclusion is unreliable”

According to a report by VICE, a tobacco control expert at the University of Louisville, Brad Rodu, pointed out that many of the smokers in the study went from using cigarettes to vapes, and some of the participants had heart attacks before using e-cigarettes. Last month, 16 professors wrote a letter to JAHA’s editors requesting they take Rodu’s concerns seriously and investigate the study’s findings to not “mislead practitioners and policymakers.”

Health risks of vaping began came to light last year after an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. As of February 4, 64 vaping-deaths and over 2,500 vaping-hospitalizations have occurred. And though officials cautioned against using any kind of vaping product, the vast majority of illnesses were tied to illicit THC vapes contaminated with vitamin E acetate.

In an attempt to curb vaping, especially among teens, the FDA banned most flavored nicotine vape cartridges, and Congress has passed a law that would raise the purchasing age for e-cigarette and tobacco products from 18 to 21.