The Ministry of Health and Welfare is strongly recommending the public, particularly teens, to stop using liquid e-cigarettes until their possible harmful effects are verified and a safety management system for the devices is established.
The ministry issued the warning on Wednesday, after the first suspected case of lung injury associated with vaping in the country emerged on October second. This comes amid a spike in vaping-related injuries across the U.S.
As of last Tuesday, American health authorities reported one-thousand-479 cases of serious lung injuries and 33 deaths associated with the use of liquid e-cigarettes.
The health ministry said it will set up a government-civilian team to swiftly conduct research on the side effects and risks of vaping. It aims to analyze all the harmful materials in e-cigarette liquids by next month and announce complete findings within the first half of next year.