The Department of Health (DOH) just declared the first-ever instance of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI)-related fatality in the country.
DOH Assistant Sec. Albert Domingo stated that the victim, a 22-year-old Laguna resident, passed away from a heart attack after suffering a serious lung injury.
Dr. Margarita Isabel Fernandez and other medical professionals from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila published the case in the journal Respirology Case Reports of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology in April.
No risk factors
The victim did not have any known comorbidities and had been vaping for the previous two years.
“DOH and PGH raises warning on vape as it cites first Filipino death. Bente-dos anyos na namatay sa heart attack. Ang pinaka striking sa kasong ito 'yung kaniyang heart attack, wala siyang risk factors maliban sa araw-araw siyang nagva-vape for the past two years bago siya atakihin sa puso,” Domingo said.
Their investigation revealed that two days following a sporting event, the subject experienced an abrupt start of significant chest pain. The victim experienced dyspnea (running out of air), diaphoresis (excessive sweating), and myalgia (pain in the muscles).
He had a cough with mucus (productive cough), a cough with blood (hemoptysis), a fever, and was vomiting a week prior.
Youth use and Vape bill
Coinciding with the case, the DOH is battling to change the contentious vape bill, which reduced the legal age of access to e-cigarettes from 21 to 18.
The bill permitted flavorings, sponsorships, and advertising for vape products until it expired in 2022.
Per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, one in seven teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 vapes on a daily basis. One important contributing element is its widespread availability.
The Department of Trade and Industry now oversees vape regulations, having previously been under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration.
