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| A clerk at a GS25 convenience store removes liquid e-cigarettes from shelves in this Oct. 24 file photo following the government's warning of possible health hazards. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced Thursday that a substance causing serious lung injury has been found in e-liquid products sold here. / Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
A substance that could potentially cause serious lung disease has been found in liquid e-cigarettes sold here, the health authorities said, Thursday.
The vaping products, however, did not contain the chemical that is said to be responsible for most cases of lung damage from vaping reported in the U.S.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced the results of its toxicity tests on seven potentially harmful ingredients in 153 liquid e-cigarette products, or e-liquids, amid growing anxiety among vapers following the health authorities' strong warning against using them issued in October.
The ingredients were vitamin E acetate, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), three kinds of flavoring ingredients ― diacetyl, acetoin and 2,3-pentanedione ― and two solvents that help the liquid evaporate ― propylene glycol and glycerin.
According to the study, THC, a chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects, was absent in all products, because marijuana is a banned substance here except for specific medical cases. It has been considered a contentious issue in the U.S., as 78 percent of the people who reported serious lung damage from vaping there had used e-cigarettes with liquid THC, according to U.S. and Korean health authorities.
But 13 of the examined products here contained vitamin E acetate. Although vitamin E acetate is not harmful in liquid form, medical experts believe it can stick to the lungs when inhaled in a gaseous form. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the chemical recently as closely associated with lung damage.
As of Dec. 3, 2,291 cases of lung damage allegedly associated with vaping have been reported to the CDC in the U.S., along with 48 deaths.
Following the U.S. cases and growing concerns over the health hazards of e-liquids, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued a strong recommendation, Oct. 23, for people to stop using those e-cigarette products until their effects on the human body are fully confirmed.
The drug safety ministry has also investigated a suspected case of vaping-related respiratory illness reported here two months ago. The health ministry said a man in his 30s, who switched from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes about six months earlier, began suffering from respiratory distress and was admitted to hospital Oct. 2.
Following the recommendation, major convenience store chains have voluntarily suspended sales of the products.
Based on the drug safety ministry's findings, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) will carry out a study on the products' health hazards by next March.
If the KCDC study confirms the link between e-liquids and lung damage, the government may take action such as recalling the products or banning their sales. If no link is found, the government could face legal actions by e-liquid manufacturers and distributors that have been claiming its warnings against the products have already damaged their business.
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