Question: Is that vaping illness occurring here?

Answer: “To date, the Hawaii Department of Health has not received reports of lung injury associated with vaping in Hawaii. With the national concern because of reports in other states, DOH has alerted health care providers and emergency workers to ask patients with lung injuries if they have vaped and report any associated injuries to DOH,” Janice Okubo, a spokeswoman for the department, said in an email Tuesday.

As of Thursday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 193 potential cases of severe pulmonary disease associated with use of electronic cigarettes, in a total of 22 states. Many of the patients were teenagers and young adults. One death was reported as of Friday, in Illinois.

CDC officials said they don’t know whether the respiratory distress has a common cause or whether the similar symptoms were caused by different diseases. The patients all reported vaping before they began having trouble breathing or experienced chest pain or other symptoms, but they had used different substances — including nicotine, marijuana products and homemade e-liquids — for varying lengths of time and at different locations (the 22 states span the country, from California to Connecticut).

The CDC held a news briefing on the matter Friday; you can read or listen to the transcript at 808ne.ws/cdcbrief.

To be clear, although no Hawaii cases have been reported among this cluster, the Health Department has long warned of the potential health risks of vaping, including the possibility of inhaling ultrafine particles deep into the lungs.

Nationally, health experts were exploring that as a potential factor in the current outbreak.

“We do know that e-cigarettes do not emit a harmless aerosol. They can include a variety of potentially harmful ingredients, including ingredients that are harmful in terms of pulmonary illness,” Brian King, a deputy director in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said at the news briefing.

E-cigarettes are small, battery-operated devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that the user inhales. The liquid commonly contains nicotine or other substances, such as THC, the mind-altering substance in marijuana. You can read more at e-cigarettes.surgeon­general.gov.

Q: Sometimes the Hawaiian Humane Society has special event periods where they offer free adoptions. When they do that, is spay/neuter included, or do you have to pay extra for that?

A: It’s included. “All animals available for adoption at Hawaiian Humane are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, regardless of the adoption fee that will be paid. So adopters who take advantage of one of our specials are still getting the benefit of all of that care. In fact, even our normal adoptions fees don’t cover the cost of the care the animals receive, which is subsidized by donations,” said Steph Kendrick, public policy advocate for the nonprofit organization.

E kala mai

My apologies to the ladies I dashed in front of in the restroom. One gave me stink eye, as if I shouldn’t have used the handicap stall. Not all disabilities are visible. I am sorry about cutting, though. It was an emergency. — Reader

Mahalo

Last Wednesday afternoon I witnessed a wonderful happening. A little old lady with a walker, slowly attempting to cross the street in a crosswalk, came along these two young men coming from the opposite end. They both stopped in the crosswalk, allowing this woman to safely get to the other side, not letting cars come through until she was safe. This made my day, and what a wonderful, heartfelt moment it was. May these two young men be forever blessed. — A senior

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.