With a series of vaping related illnesses in the United States and now in Canada, officials are working to try and determine the exact cause.

Dr. Michael Schwandt is a Public Health Physician with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) and he says officials have been able to test some samples that have been submitted by patients.

“There’s a few additives that have been identified – things with names like Vitamin E Acetate or diacetyl which is a flavouring agent. Things like that that seem to have a potentially have a role,” he said. “We’ve been cautioned not to make any conclusions at this point, because it’s still fairly early in this investigation.”

Dr. Schwandt is recommending that people who vape not modify the products they buy in stores, and not get their vape products from the black market.

Speaking on NL Newsday, he says officials don’t have information about the long term effects just yet.

“Definitely some of these cases might experience long term damage due to the clinical course that they have experienced. There might be milder cases as well,” Dr. Schwandt added. “This is all going to come down to the amount of the chemical agents that are inhaled and then the actual type. I’d expect to see quite a variety of clinical outcomes.”

The US Center for Disease Control now reports that 530 Americans – most between 18 and 24 years of age – have been diagnosed with a vaping related breathing illnesses. That’s up from 380 a week ago. Health officials in London, Ontario confirmed the first Canadian case yesterday.

Eight major health organizations are now calling on Ottawa to take urgent action on vaping, and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says his government plans to act soon to bring in provincial restrictions on vaping.