Scott Gottlieb, the former Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has blamed counterfeit e-cigarette products for lung injuries after a spike in such incidents among teens and young adults, FOXBusiness reported.

"The legal vapes have been actively regulated by FDA since Aug 2017. FDA has conducted thousands of inspections of manufacturers and vape stores, published manufacturing guidance, sought product removals etc. These tragedies point to illegal vapes and THC," Gottlieb wrote on Twitter.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 193 potential cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping. The cases were recorded in 22 states between 28 June and 20 Aug, prompting the CDC to investigate, the report said.
However, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association said it was too early to tsay if counterfeit e-cigarettes were solely to blame, the report said. "With all due respect to former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb, I think it’s too soon to speculate about the cause or the reason why we’re seeing this … I firmly believe that had FDA not delayed the oversight of these products in July of 2017 that we would be in a much different position than we are today," Erika Sward, spokesperson for the American Lung Association, told FOXBusiness.
According to the report, the CEO of e-cigarette giant Juul Labs, Kevin Burns, said a spike in cases of critical lung disease in teenagers and young adults is "worrisome”, but added that investigators should look at the risks of vaping THC instead, during an interview with CBS News on 28 Aug.