The first case of a minor with pulmonary syndrome due to vaping raises alarms in Costa Rica

The Ministry of Health of Costa Rica reiterated this Thursday that the sale and use of vaping products is prohibited by minors, after confirming the first case of a teenager diagnosed with a serious condition of pulmonary syndrome due to vaping, which has alerted the authorities.

The Ministry of Health noted in a statement that in Costa Rica the sale to minors of Electronic Nicotine Administration Systems (ENDS), Similar Nicotine-Free Systems (SSSN) and electronic devices that use heated tobacco and similar technologies is prohibited. its accessories and other complementary goods, including the liquid for its use”.

The entity stated that these devices “affect the way our breathing system works” which “can lead to the appearance of infections in the lungs, whether caused by bacteria or viruses, and increases the risk of suffering from diseases such as the cold flu, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

The Ministry's warning arises after the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) confirmed in early November the first case in the country of a minor with pulmonary syndrome associated with vaping.

This syndrome, known as EVALI for its acronym in English, “produces lung lesions associated with the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping and occurred in a 16-year-old boy who had been using this type of electronic device for vaping for just over 3 months.” , explained the CCSS.

The teenager vaped daily secretly from his parents and his condition led him to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit for almost a month, in which he required assisted mechanical ventilation, according to the official report.

Patients who present EVALI will generally have difficulty breathing, cough, chest pain, rapid breathing, bloody phlegm, tachycardia, fever, cold sensation, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the coordinator of the Cesación clinics. of Smoking and Vaping of the CCSS, Dr. Marny Ramos.

Ramos assured that the products used for vaping generate lung inflammation, whether they contain nicotine or not, and maintained that nicotine is one of the substances with stimulant properties and is responsible for dependence, but there is also formaldehyde, a carcinogen that can be generated by a vaporizer or a tobacco heater.

Both the Ministry of Health and the CCSS called on the population to recognize the dangers of using vaping devices and asked parents to talk to their children about the effects of vaping.

CCSS data indicates that in 2021 it treated 13 people for respiratory disorders related to vaping, a figure that by 2023 has experienced exponential growth to reach 857.