Dr. Maricar Limpin, a renowned pulmonologist and director of the Smoking Cessation Program at the Philippine Heart Center, has raised concerns about the rising cases of E-cigarette or Vape-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) among the country’s youth. Speaking to ABS-CBN News, Dr. Limpin emphasized the symptoms, stating, “Patients usually complain of getting tired easily and having difficulty in breathing, even in the absence of asthma, infection, or cough.”
Dr. Limpin highlighted the concerning trend, stating, “We are starting to see EVALI cases here… gradually, us lung specialists are seeing patients in our clinics whose main complaint is having difficulty breathing. When we ask them – and it doesn’t look like an infection – we really can’t find a reason for them to have difficulty breathing. What we see is that many of them used to smoke cigarettes and then shifted to e-cigarettes.”
She emphasized the misconception that vaping is less harmful, labeling it as a “marketing strategy” and warned against the appealing flavors and cute designs, stating, “Vaping is like putting cancer-causing elements right into your body.” She also highlighted the addictive nature of nicotine present in vaping products.
Dr. Limpin debunked claims that vaping produces only harmless vapor, explaining, “What we see in the smoke, even in those with little to no visible smoke, are other chemicals including metallic compounds like lead. Therefore, it is not vapor; it is an aerosol.” She called for transparency regarding the ingredients used in vaping products.
Expressing concern over the flavors used in vapes, Dr. Limpin emphasized that these flavors were designed for ingestion, not inhalation, and can lead to the buildup of irritating chemicals in the lungs.
Addressing the difficulty in quantifying vaping habits compared to cigarette smoking, Dr. Limpin emphasized the importance of regulations and appealed to policymakers to grant regulatory powers to the Department of Health (DOH) to effectively address the issue.
Regarding quitting vaping or smoking, she recommended abrupt quitting, stating, “Cold turkey is the best method. Definitely, you may gain weight because your taste and smell improve, so you may feel more inclined to eat. We just need to control our food intake.”
The article also highlighted Health Secretary Ted Herbosa’s efforts to combat vaping, including seeking assistance from the Department of Education and the Philippine National Police to curb underage vaping and sales to minors.
The alarming statistics from various surveys and studies were presented to underscore the severity of the issue, with data indicating a concerning prevalence of vaping among Filipino youth.