Virginia ER data points to shift in tobacco use [Video]

Emergency room visits in Virginia by people who reported vaping more than doubled between 2020 and 2023, according to a data analysis released last week by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.

In 2020, there were 23,630 emergency room visits by patients who vaped, according to the organization. By 2023, that number had risen to 49,356 visits, a 108.9% increase.

ER visits by people who reported using traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes and chewing tobacco dropped by about 25% during the same period, but traditional tobacco products “still account for the majority of [emergency department] visits with a tobacco or vaping-related diagnosis,” the association — an alliance of 27 member health systems and hospitals, representing 110 community, psychiatric, rehabilitation, and specialty hospitals throughout Virginia — said in a statement announcing the data.

The data doesn’t necessarily reflect the health risks or safety of various products. Julian Walker, a spokesman …