The Washington State Board of Health is expanding vaping product ban to sale of products containing vitamin E acetate.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, the band comes based on new information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention connecting vitamin E acetate and lung injury.
“We are deeply concerned by a new study finding vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury in patients’ lungs,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “While we still need more research to identify a definitive cause, the evidence we have linking vitamin E acetate to the outbreak demands immediate action to protect the public’s health. Furthermore, we are very aware there may be more than one cause for these lung injuries associated with vaping.”
Vitamin E acetate is sometimes used to thicken products, but no one compound has been linked to all vaping illness cases.
The new emergency rule will take effect as soon as it is filed with the code reviser’s office and will remain in effect for 120 days. The rest of the rule will still expire on February 7, 2020.
