In short
- Sharing e-cigarettes constitutes through the exchange of saliva between users a significant risk of meningococcal spread.
- Meningococcal disease, a potentially fatal disease, spreads through close contact.
- Experts urge young adults to avoid sharing vapes.
Two young people have died and several others are in hospital in Canterbury following an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease. That’s why health officials are calling for caution and advising against sharing vapes, among other things. Meningococcal disease can lead to meningitis and can be fatal within a few hours.
Vaping among young adults
The warning comes as research shows vaping is common among young adults, with around 27 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK taking part.
Professor Rebecca A. Drummond from the University of Birmingham tells The Conversation that the bacteria that cause meningococci spread through close contact. Sharing vapes among each other can potentially spread meningococcal bacteria.
Sharing vapes
Shane Margereson, an expert in the vape industry, warns The Mirror also against sharing vapes and compares this practice to sharing cigarettes. Even healthy people can unknowingly carry bacteria or viruses, and sharing vapes in social situations increases the risk of infection. Sharing vapes can lead to exposure to a variety of illnesses, from the common cold and flu to more serious conditions such as meningococcal disease.
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