UMBC’s University Health Services (UHS) is working to educate students and the University community about a new CDC report on an outbreak of lung injury associated with vaping.
The Basics
As of Nov. 20, 2019, 2,290 lung injury cases associated with using e-cigarette/vaping products have been reported to CDC from 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia, and 2 U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands).
47 deaths have been confirmed in 25 states and the District of Columbia.
All patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette/vaping products.
The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (friends, family, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak.
Vitamin E acetate has been identified as a chemical of concern among people with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI).
THC is present in most of the samples tested by FDA to date, and most patients report a history of using THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
The Symptoms
Patients in this investigation have reported symptoms such as:
cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain
fatigue, fever, chills, or weight loss
Some patients have reported that their symptoms developed over a few days, while others have reported that their symptoms developed over several weeks. A lung infection does not appear to be causing the symptoms.
Remember
Do not buy e-cigarette/vaping products with THC or CBD oils off the street, and do not modify or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.
See a healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms like those reported in this outbreak.
Getting Help
Talk to someone at UHS (410-455-2542) or the Counseling Center (410-455-2472).
Contact The Haven at UMBC for recovery and sober living resources for students.
Visit the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration's treatment locator to locate treatment in your area, or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Contact your healthcare provider, or call the local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
Visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens’ What to Do If You Have a Problem with Drugs.
Get resources and support at Smokefree Teen and Truth Initiative.
From: Retriever Courage Implementation Team
Date: October 3, 2019
Following the September 18 Retriever Courage Gathering, our Implementation Team continues to move forward on improving sexual violence/misconduct prevention and response at UMBC. This fall, members of the Implementation Team will hold update meetings with student, faculty, and staff leaders to continue to listen and build partnerships for acting on this important work.
We also want to share an update that the lawsuit filed last year against UMBC, Baltimore County, and others related to the handling of sexual assault cases was dismissed on September 30 by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, who has given the plaintiffs three weeks to file a narrower complaint if they choose to do so.
The dismissal of this case does not change our commitment to ensuring that UMBC provides preventive education and training for all students, faculty, and staff, and a proactive, caring, and inclusive response to incidents of sexual and gender-based harassment and violence.
Thank you for joining us in this important work. To stay up-to-date on actions underway, please visit the Retriever Courage dashboard.
And we encourage you to join us at one of the many campus events scheduled in October to observe Relationship Violence Awareness Month.
Retriever Courage Implementation Team
Lynne Schaefer, Co-chair, Vice President for Administration and Finance
Nancy Young, Co-chair, Vice President for Student Affairs
Nadia BenAissa ‘20, Co-chair, Student Advisory Committee
Candace Dodson-Reed ‘96, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion, President’s Office
Elle Everhart, Co-Chair, Faculty/Staff Advisory Committee; Program Management Specialist, Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies
Jodi Kelber-Kaye, Co-Chair, Faculty/Staff Advisory Committee; Associate Director, Honors College
Christine Mallinson, Co-Chair, Faculty/Staff Advisory Committee; Director of the Center for Social Science Scholarship; Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture; affiliate faculty of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies
Susan McDonough, Co-Chair, Faculty/Staff Advisory Committee; Associate Professor of History; affiliate faculty of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies
Marcela Sarmiento Mellinger, Co-Chair, Faculty/Staff Advisory Committee; Associate Professor of Social Work
Christopher Murphy, Professor of Psychology
Jess Myers, Director, Women’s Center
Morgan Thomas ‘13, Assistant General Counsel
Aliya Webermann, Co-chair, Student Advisory Committee, and Clinical and Community Psychology Doctoral Student
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