Military health officials say there have been no fatalities as a result of vaping.
The unequivocal statement from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner on Thursday comes after the Army Public Health Center retracted a report that two Marines had died as a result of seizures induced by vaping.
A spokeswoman from the Medical Examiner System told Military Times no military personnel have been reported dead from vaping synthetic cannabinoid oils.
The Army’s incorrect report of two Marine deaths came in an Army public health warning issued Monday. The Army Public Health Center alerted soldiers to the medical dangers posed by synthetic cannabinoid oil.
The first version of the warning stated that two Marines had died from seizures caused by vaping the synthetic oil. But Chanel Weaver, a spokeswoman for the Public Health Center, told Military Times on Thursday that the report of deaths was incorrect.
She said the Marines referenced had been hospitalized, but did not die, a mistake the Public Health Center caught in a conference call with Navy officials.
The public health warning has since been updated to correct the mistake.
In Monday’s warning, the Army said synthetic cannabinoid oils have been associated with serious medical effects ranging from headache, nausea, vomiting and palpitations to dizziness, disorientation and seizures. The Army prohibits soldiers from using cannabidiol and other substances derived from marijuana, so many soldiers have turned to synthetic oils instead.
