New York state health officials say a vitamin e chemical is the “key focus” in their investigation of vaping and severe lung illnesses.
Officials said Thursday they found extremely high levels of vitamin e acetate in nearly all the cannabis-containing vaping products that were analyzed.
At least one vape product containing the chemical has been linked to each person who got sick and submitted a product for testing in the state.
Vitamin e acetate is commonly available as a nutritional supplement.
The health officials said it’s not known to cause harm when ingested as a vitamin supplement or applied to the skin.
However, they’re investigating its health effects when inhaled — because its oil-like properties could be associated with the symptoms seen in lung illnesses.