A look at the health effects and insurance implications of Vaping
The rise in vaping-related deaths and illnesses has ushered in a new awareness of the negative effects of electronic cigarettes or “e-cigarettes.”
Entering the market in the early 2000s, e-cigarettes gained global traction in 2014 and have steadily risen in popularity. Earlier this year, several people were hospitalized with a mysterious lung illness attributed to vaping and e-cigarettes. Since then, the numbers have risen steadily with the CDC reporting 805 confirmed cases of lung injury related to vaping. At the time of this article, 17 people have died due to vape-related illness. As a result of this, President Trump has pushed for a ban on certain flavored e-cigarette pods and cartridges. States have followed suit, calling for a temporary ban on these products. Although commonly viewed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, we are now seeing some of the health consequences, and as more is understood about e-cigarettes, vaping, and Juul-ing”, we can expect changes in the health and life insurance industry.