Concerns over e-cigarettes are getting stronger in South Korea.
After one case of lung disease related to vaping was reported,… the health ministry announced its preemptive measures today to reduce the risks of e-cigarettes.
We are currently on the line with Kim Bo-kyoung for the details regarding this issue….
Bo-kyoung, do fill us in.
Hi, ji-yoon, the Ministry of Health and Welfare came up with its measures on liquid-type e-cigarettes less than an hour ago.
These measures come as one suspected case of lung disease related to vaping was reported over a week ago… after the Korean health ministry had advised people in Korea to refrain from using electronic cigarettes last month.
Here's what Minister Park Neung-hoo said during the briefing.
"Firstly, the ministry strongly urges people to stop using e-cigarettes, especially children, teenagers, pregnant women and people with respiratory diseases."
The ministry also emphasized the importance passing the law soon so that it can control the cigarettes by extending the definition of them... and make sellers submit information about harmful substances.
Adding to that,... it will also make it possible to let the government recall cigarettes and ban the sales of the product if it harms people's health.
Along with that,... the ministry will also ban companies from putting flavors in cigarettes step by step as these flavors cause teens to start vaping, and it will finish investigating the effects of vaping on the human body.
These advance measures are also because of rising reports of lung disease related to vaping in United States, am I right?
Yes Ji-yoon, although only one case has been reported in South Korea… concerns are rising as diseases and deaths in United States have been on the rise.
According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 1479 lung disease cases associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping products have been reported from 49 states as of October 15th.
Not only this,… thirty-three deaths of patients who had a history of using e-cigarettes have been confirmed in 24 states.
The CDC has recommended people not to use e-cigarettes or vaping products in order to avoid the risk, especially products containing THC as this substance is linked to most of the cases.
After the CDC's report, e-cigarette giant Juul decided to temporarily stop selling certain flavored e-cigarettes online about a week ago... and states such as Massachusetts, Washington and Michigan have also temporarily banned e-cigarette sales.
That's all from me, back to you Ji-yoon.
