Ottawa (AFP)
Canadian authorities announced Wednesday the temporary hospitalization in Ontario of a person suffering from a pulmonary disease related to vaping, presented as a first in Canada while the United States is experiencing an epidemic that has left seven dead and hundreds of ill.
"A young person has been diagnosed with a severe respiratory illness that is linked to the person's use of vaping products," the regional health authority said in a statement. Neither the age nor the sex of the patient have been specified.
The young patient, who was vaping daily, had to be admitted to an intensive care unit of a hospital in the area. He has now left the hospital and is doing well, a regional authority official, Dr. Christopher Mackie, told a news conference.
"From what we know, this is the first reported case of vaping-related illness in Canada," he said.
Electronic cigarettes have been marketed in Canada and the United States since 2006. Although their sale is prohibited to minors, their use has exploded in recent years among Canadian adolescents.
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor explained that Justin Trudeau's government was considering new restrictions on the advertising of vaping products, or the sale of some popular perfumes.
"My number one priority is the protection of young people," the minister told several journalists. "We want to ensure that the current regulations protect our youth, and that these products are not attractive to young people."
She did not say whether the Liberal party of Justin Trudeau would announce new measures in this direction during his campaign for the legislative elections of 21 October.
"Let's wait and see what's in the Liberal program," she said.
© 2019 AFP