08/23/2026
Let's not rewrite history.
The 2019 lung injury outbreak was real.
More than 2,800 people were hospitalized or died, and 68 deaths were confirmed.
But investigators kept investigating after the first headlines appeared.
CDC says national and state data linked THC-containing va**ng products containing vitamin E acetate to most cases.
Many implicated products came from informal or illicit sources.
CDC also cautioned that it could not rule out other chemicals in every case.
That's the complete version.
Not:
"Nothing happened."
And not:
"Ordinary ni****ne va**ng caused thousands of mysterious lung injuries."
Something terrible happened.
Then investigators learned much more about why.
The investigation deserves to be remembered as clearly as the original headline.
Sources
CDC: Nationwide EVALI Investigation
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6903e2.htm
CDC: Cannabis FAQ and EVALI Findings
https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/faq/index.html
CDC: Wisconsin EVALI Investigation
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6909a4.htm
**ngfacts