DOH still monitoring first vaping injury patient

CEBU CITY—The 16-year-old girl known as the first local case of e-cigarettes or vape-associated lung injury (Evali) has been discharged from hospital but remains under close monitoring by the Department of Health (DOH). Jaime Bernadas, director of DOH Central Visayas, said the agency had taken action against the use of e-cigarettes, but was stopped by court injunctions and temporary restraining orders. Even before the first Evali case, Bernadas said the DOH had warned against the use of e-cigarettes. “It is still smoke that is being inhaled. It has chemical component, so there will be tendencies for lung injury, irritation, allergies and chemical intoxication,” he said. —NESTLE SEMILLA