• WHO criticized for seizure claim after vaping within 24 hours
• Fact-checking prompts X to issue a Community Note
• Vaping risks debated amid concerns over public health messaging

The World Health Organization’s assertion that vaping can induce seizures within hours drew criticism last night.

Users’ fact-checking of the international health organization on X prompted the social media platform to publish a Community Note.

The note stated, “This post is supported by inconclusive evidence derived from unreviewed studies.”

The assertion is founded on an estimated 120 incidents that transpired after 2019 and yielded an inconclusive result.

Dr. Charles Gardner, a developmental neurobiologist based in Brooklyn, issued the following tweet: “Kindly furnish peer-reviewed substantiation for the assertion that vaping induces seizures “typically within 24 hours.”

“If this is not possible, then kindly remove your tweet.” A scholarly search has yielded no evidence from any study indicating an increased risk of convulsions.

Senior policy analyst for the drug policy reform organization Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Steve Rolles, stated, “Absolutely, this is nonsense.” What causes the WHO’s stance on vaporizers to be so peculiarly inconsistent?

Additional users derided the WHO as “liars” and “clowns,” asserting that it propagated propaganda.

The recent surge in criticism coincides with the organization’s ongoing efforts to regain public confidence following what numerous individuals consider the WHO’s disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the onset of the pandemic, it was advised that masks not be worn for several months, and numerous scientists have criticized WHO’s refusal to acknowledge that Covid was frequently transmitted through the air and by asymptomatic individuals.

In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report in 2021 concluding that COVID-19 most likely jumped from animals to humans, rejecting the hypothesis that it originated in a laboratory, which several government agencies support.

The following year, however, the organization recanted its position, stating that “critical pieces of data” were still absent and that it was premature to rule out the possibility that Covid had lab connections.

A hyperlink in the community note on X was added to an editorial concerning vaping and convulsions.

A critical evaluation of a 2019 study was presented in the 2020 editorial of the Journal of Adolescent Health. The study examined a sequence of 122 seizures and additional neurological symptoms in individuals who self-reported vaping within the preceding twenty-four hours.

Nicotine’s proconvulsant properties, which indicate its potential to induce convulsions, led the study researchers to hypothesize that it might be accountable for the seizures and associated symptoms.

The editorial, on the other hand, stated that the study’s specifics “raise questions about a causal link, which must be taken into account when assessing the actual health risk of nicotine vaping among youth.”

It further stated, “It is puzzling why nicotine inhaled from electronic cigarettes induces convulsions when nicotine from traditional cigarettes does not.”

To induce a seizure, according to the authors, one would have to inhale a massive quantity of nicotine. However, the amount of nicotine in a vaporizer device is significantly smaller than that found in a conventional cigarette.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that the harmful consequences of a substantial nicotine inhalation would manifest within minutes after inhalation and subside within several hours. The authors further maintain that “seizures seem improbable in the absence of other indications of systemic toxicity.”

The editorial cited as a limitation of the 2019 study its analysis of self-reported, inconsistently defined seizure “events.”

Narratives varied, as some individuals documented intense episodes while others elaborated on trembling or behaviour resembling seizures.

The events were not evaluated by medical professionals in the majority of instances.

Nicotine can induce anxiety attacks and involuntary muscle contractions, which some individuals may mistake for seizures even though they are not, according to the editorial’s authors.

Although marketed as a safer substitute for cigarettes, vaping is frequently employed as a method to quit smoking.

Nevertheless, these devices are not devoid of potential hazards.

It can increase the risk of eight lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, several types of pneumonia, popcorn lung, or injury to the small airways of the lungs, according to a comprehensive review published earlier this year.

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The use of conventional cigarettes has historically been linked to severe health complications such as stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease, with significantly reduced rates of survival.

Traditional cigarette consumption has decreased, whereas vaping has increased, particularly among middle and high school students.

An analysis by the CDC in 2023 revealed that nearly eight per cent of the student body, or 2.1 million children, were vaping devices and that forty-seven per cent of children who had ever tried an e-cigarette were currently vaping.

Typical vape packaging and flavours, such as cotton candy and crème brulee, are designed to attract younger consumers.

This has captivated millions of young people, with approximately 90% having reported using a product flavoured with fruit or confectionery.

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