Sask. health ministry looks to monitor vaping-related illnesses

Health professionals in Saskatchewan intensive care units are now required to report cases of severe respiratory illnesses possibly linked to vaping.

“I am concerned with the recent incidents of vaping related illnesses, as well as the high rates of vaping we are seeing among Saskatchewan youth,” Health Minister Jim Reiter wrote in a media release Friday morning.

The requirement to report cases of severe respiratory sicknesses in Saskatchewan comes after a teen in London, Ont., was recently sent to hospital due to a vaping-related illness. Hundreds of cases — including seven deaths — have been recorded in the U.S. in recent weeks as well.

“Although Saskatchewan has not recorded any instances of pulmonary illness associated with vaping similar to the recently reported cases in the United States and Ontario, earlier this week I directed Saskatchewan public health officials to monitor all cases as they present in intensive care units,” Reiter wrote.

“Pursuant to Section 31 of The Public Health Act 1994, Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab sent notification to Hospital Intensive Care Units across the province that all cases of severe respiratory disease that may be due to vaping be reported to local medical health officers by phone immediately.”

Canada’s chief public health officer said Friday at least three reports of potential vaping-related illnesses are being investigated, but none have been confirmed.

When discussing the importance of putting in place a recording mechanism, Shahab pointed to the success the U.S. is having in research as a result.

“The U.S. is learning more about what kinds of exposures are causing this or what kind of products are more likely to cause these kinds of outcomes, and what are some of the risk factors to individuals so that the public can be better informed,” he explained during a media conference Friday.

Shahab noted the research that could come from recording cases could also provide some statistics to longtime smokers who have turned to e-cigarettes as a “potentially less harmful” alternative.

“I think there are a lot of conclusions or misconceptions that, ‘Oh, it’s just flavouring — it doesn’t really have an impact,’ but that may not be true,” he said. “The short- and long-term effects of vaping are not well-described and these are one of the ways in which we’re learning more about that.”

As for those who haven’t spent the majority of their life smoking, Shahab said he hopes the research leads to prevention — especially in youth.

In Friday’s media release, Reiter also urged parents to speak to their kids about the risks associated with vaping.

This fall, the province is proposing changes that are expected to see vaping products treated similar to tobacco ones. This would include restricting sales to minors and not displaying the e-cigarettes in retail stores.

Vaping-related illnesses could be misdiagnosed, says province’s top doctor

According to Shahab, it’s possible vaping-related illnesses are going misdiagnosed because they can be disguised as other sicknesses.

“In many cases, it’s infectious causes; like severe influenza can present itself as severe respiratory illness in a young adult,” he said, noting exotic diseases from overseas, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, as another example.

If doctors can rule out issues with the patient’s heart and lungs and the person vaped within 90 days of falling ill, then Shahab said that’s considered “severe respiratory illness due to vaping.”

Shahab said the top symptoms of vaping-related illness are shortness of breath, cough, (throat) irritation and diarrhea.

— With files from The Canadian Press