North Carolina Personal Injury Blog

Over the last several years, the vaping industry has expanded enormously, often using promotion that appears aimed at a very young audience. As studies begin to emerge about the impact of vaping, evidence indicates that the substances vapers consume is not only addictive, it may also lead to severe respiratory illness.

Unfortunately, vaping illnesses do not only happen to other people in other parts of the country, or the world. A teenager in Charleston recently filed suit against a vaping manufacturer after he suffered severe symptoms and received hospitalization. This is only one of many suits in recent months calling on vaping manufacturers to take responsibility for marketing addictive substances to teenagers.

Before the 1980s, asbestos was often used in home-building materials. These include things like asbestos tile and insulation. Since it was tough and fire-resistant, it seemed like a terrific material -- until it became clear that it could lead to deadly issues with lung cancer, mesothelioma and the like.

So, if you have an older home that dates back to the 1980s or before, you may have asbestos in the house. This is especially true, of course, if no renovations have been made over the years. But when do you face the greatest risks?

People have long talked about vaporization systems as harm-reduction alternatives for those who routinely consume either nicotine products or marijuana products. Unfortunately, as the recent outbreak of vaping-related illnesses has shown, there simply isn't enough regulation in place or research available to ensure that vaping is safe for consumers yet.

It is obvious to most people how smoking is dangerous. You inhale the smoke produced through the crude combustion of chemically-treated plant materials. Compared to that, vaping seems scientific and safe. You, in theory, only consume the active ingredient you want and a carrier agent or solvent. Instead of inhaling smoke, you inhale a vapor, which sounds less threatening, but the science doesn't seem to back up that belief.

The average lung issue won't last for an excessive amount of time. Depending on the nature of the infection, a cough or other lung issues might persist for a couple of weeks with proper care and treatment. Those who find themselves dealing with lung issues tied to vaping nicotine products may have to monitor themselves for symptoms for much longer than those exposed to viruses or bacteria.

Much media attention has recently focused on the surprising outbreak of lung-related illnesses in people using vaping devices such as e-cigarettes. Long believed to be a less-harm alternative to the crude combustion and inhalation of smoke involved in the smoking process, vaping has turned out to have its own risks, especially for those who use a combination of traditional smoking and vaporization.