NEW JERSEY – A new analysis of New Jersey hospital discharge data says that the number of vaping hospitalizations is way higher than orginally reported – just as horrifying details continue to emerge involving the deadly outbreak.
The New Jersey Hospital Association said the state's hospitals are on pace to see nearly 16,000 patients who use e-cigarettes in 2019. The association also reported the beginning of an uptick in hospitalizations where e-cigarette usage is documented between the ages of 11 and 12, and peak e-cigarette use happens between the ages of 18-24.
Discharge data also shows the greatest concentration of hospital patients with e-cigarette use or vaping documented during their visit is in Middlesex County, according to the new report.
The new information was released as horrifying details have emerged in individual cases as the deadly New Jersey vaping sickness outbreak continues to rise sharply.
The number of possible cases reported by the state Department of Health has doubled since the state announced the first New Jersey death associated with the national vaping outbreak on Oct. 1.
In one such case, a 21-year-old Monmouth County woman said she thought she was going to die after she got sick, according to The Record. Kerri Chonsky ended up spending two weeks in the hospital with what doctors thought was initially pneumonia; it turns out she was suffering from "chemical burns."
The death, involving a woman from northern New Jersey, was reported to the department in August. The incident was also reported when Gov. Phil Murphy announced the creation of the Electronic Smoking Device Task Force on Sept. 12.
The NJHA data shows that in 2018, hospital detection of e-cigarette use typically begins around age 13. The 2019 data shows usage beginning around age 11, The New Jersey Hospital Association says.
"The only way we are going to understand the increased prevalence of vaping-related illness that is showing up in our hospitals is to understand who is using e-cigarettes and when they are introduced to these products," said Cathleen Bennett, president and CEO of NJHA. "The level of detail this (report) provides is integral to New Jersey's leadership in defeating this growing public health threat."
The association's analysis differs from the national numbers reported on e-cigarette or vaping product use associated-lung injury, since the NJHA data includes all hospital visits where vaping or e-cigarette use was documented through diagnosis codes.
As of mid-October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,604 lung injury cases associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping, including 34 deaths, across the country.
Other findings in the report include:
- E-cigarette use in New Jersey is overwhelmingly male, concentrated in black and white populations. Vaping is least common among the Asian population in the state.
- While peak e-cigarette use occurs among the 18-24 age group, peak nicotine dependence occurs in the 45-54 age range.
- The growth in e-cigarette usage based on hospital claims data has accelerated in recent years from 6,088 in 2017 to 15,853 projected for 2019. This could be the result of a combination of increased activity and better awareness of the need to document e-cigarette usage.
NJHA is currently in the process of creating tools for healthcare providers to prompt conversations about vaping with their patients, as well as best practices for documenting e-cigarette use in a patient's medical history, according to the report.
In Chonsky's case, she started smoking cigarettes when she was 17 or 18, and wanted a safer alternative. Two years later, what doctors first thought was pneumonia turned out to be "chemical burns" on her lungs — injuries that sparked shaking and cold sweats, eventually sending her to the hospital, according to The Record.
The outbreak also comes as at least four lawsuits have been filed in New Jersey against e-cigarette makers, all claiming that the product has hooked a new generation of young people to a potentially dangerous substance.
One New Jersey user reportedly talked about vomiting up blood. Others said they've become hopelessly addicted and perpetually sick. Read more: NJ's Vaping Sicknesses Nearly Double In Growing 25-State Outbreak
Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, has introduced legislation that would make New Jersey the second state after Michigan to prohibit the sale or distribution of flavored electronic smoking devices and related products. Sen. Joe Vitale, D-Middlesex, has authored a bill to limit the sales of e-cigarettes.
"The health and safety and even the lives of young people are at risk," Senate President Steve Sweeney said. "The flavored products are targeted at teenagers and young adults with the intent of luring them into addiction.
"We should not allow another generation to get addicted to a product that lowers life expectancy and seriously damages their heart and lungs. Here is a product that we know is seriously harming the health of users, especially our youth."
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, e-cigarette use among middle and high school students increased by 900 percent between 2011 and 2015, and a 2015 report from the National Health Interview Survey found 40 percent of young e-cigarette users were never smokers before trying e-cigarettes.
State health departments, the CDC and the FDA are still investigating the possible causes of the lung injuries, but based on information at this time, e-cigarettes or vaping products should never be used by young adults, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.
For more information about the dangers of vaping, visit VapeFactsNJ.com or incorruptible.us.
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