A Taichung doctor has urged people not to use e-cigarettes, after treating a 15-year-old boy who developed severe pneumonia after using the devices for four years.
The boy, who was rushed to the hospital after reporting that he was unable to breathe, was placed on a respirator and treated with steroids for 10 days, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital physician Lu Ko-huan (呂克桓) said.
E-cigarettes, which use oil containing nicotine and various chemicals that make them addictive, cannot be used as a means of breaking an addiction to smoking tobacco products, Lu said.
“They also impact the development of a child’s brain and can lead to cancer,” he said, adding that the government should do more to restrict e-cigarette use among youth.
The Taichung City Government in March introduced the Taichung Autonomous Act for E-Cigarette Hazards Prevention (台中市電子煙危害防制自治條例), which went into effect on Sept. 28 with fines of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 for providing e-cigarettes or related items to minors or pregnant women.
The boy Lu treated had been exposed to tobacco throughout his life, since his parents are smokers, demonstrating the influence this can have on children, he said, adding that the boy’s parents were unaware that he had been using e-cigarettes.
“When his parents brought him in, he had a bad cough and stomach pain, and had been vomiting. Initially they thought he just had a bad cold or gastritis,” he said.
Doctors initially screened the boy for COVID-19, and after tests returned negative, asked him about e-cigarette use, Lu said.
Although the boy has recovered, doctors would continue to monitor him for evidence of scarring of his lungs, hardening of his blood vessels and brain disease, he said.
E-cigarettes could cause people to ingest nicotine and other harmful chemicals at an accelerated rate, as one e-cigarette capsule contains the equivalent of three packs of cigarettes, he said.
E-cigarettes contain a number of harmful chemicals, such as the carcinogens formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, as well as propylene glycol and diethylene glycol, which can damage the lungs, he said.
Some components of e-cigarettes can also damage the liver, skin and other organs, he said.
“Taiwanese often believe that e-cigarettes are not that harmful, and companies market them as a solution to quit smoking,” he said, adding that e-cigarettes are addictive and harmful.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS