Probing public health issues in Massachusetts
Massachusetts may rank as one of the healthiest states in the U.S., but it lags behind countries that are similarly wealthy and industrialized. In a podcast for CommonWealth Magazine, Monica Bharel, MPH ’12, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of…
Double lung transplant performed on patient with vaping illness
Amidst a spate of vaping-related illnesses and deaths in the U.S., doctors at a Detroit hospital performed a double lung transplant on a 17-year-old boy whose lungs were severely damaged from vaping. Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital said…
Vaping-related illness taking a toll in Massachusetts
As of October 16, 2019, there were 29 reported cases of vaping-related illness in Massachusetts and one reported death. But public health officials haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause of the illnesses. Across the U.S., at least…
Why is vaping sickening and killing people? Experts don’t know yet.
Scientists are scrambling to figure out more about the vaping illness that has sickened roughly 1,300 and killed at least 29 in the U.S. Some experts are looking to see whether oily chemicals added to vaping liquids are…
Exploring why vaping-linked lung illness is a ‘crisis’
Why is vaping-related lung illness seen by health officials, politicians, and the press as a public health crisis, even though other public health problems with worse consequences—like influenza—have not garnered as much attention? As of October 10, 2019,…
Could MA vape products ban inadvertently harm health?
A temporary ban on the sale of vaping products in Massachusetts has drawn criticism from some public health experts. In a September 26, 2019 WBUR story, Vaughan Rees, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at Harvard T.H.…
Opinion: The future of e-cigarettes
A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes in San Francisco reflects growing national concern about the health dangers of the electronic devices, according to a September 11, 2019 JAMA Forum commentary co-authored by Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg…
Epidemic of vaping injuries sparks public health concerns
Amid an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths related to the use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products, David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics at Harvard Chan School, discusses his research on the dangers of vaping…
Opinion: Vaping-related ‘epidemic’ demands urgent response
There’s been a recent rise in acute lung illnesses the U.S. linked to vaping, as well as a handful of vaping-related deaths. “There is clearly an epidemic that begs for an urgent response,” wrote David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor…
How ‘Juuling’ could harm teens
Roughly 3.6 million teens are now vaping, and the health consequences can be serious.