The 2019 EVALI outbreak caused 2,807 hospitalizations and 68 deaths. This was a public health crisis — but it was not caused by regulated nicotine vaping products. It was caused by illicit THC cartridges cut with vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent that is toxic when inhaled.
The EVALI lesson is not "vaping is dangerous" — it's "unregulated products are dangerous." Regulated nicotine vape products (especially FDA-authorized ones) have never been linked to EVALI. The October 2026 enforcement crackdown on illicit disposables, covered in our state bans report, is precisely about removing the unregulated products that pose the greatest risk.
