6th September, 2019
The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday warned people from using e-cigarettes as it investigates 450 possible cases of lung disease linked to vaping, more than double the number of cases from last week.
Indiana reported its first vaping-related death on Friday, bringing the nationwide death toll to three following similar deaths in Illinois and Oregon. Another death was reported in Minnesota.
The number increased to five on Saturday. The latest death was a 55-year-old man in California who had underlying health conditions.
“While the investigation is ongoing, the CDC has advised that individuals consider not using e-cigarettes because as of now, this is the primary means of preventing lung disease,” said Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, an incident manager with the CDC.
Officials said it’s unclear what is causing the illnesses, but many cases appear to involve vape products containing THC, a compound found in marijuana.
But no one product, device or substance has been linked to all cases.
“We believe that a chemical exposure is likely associated with these illnesses, but more information is needed,” Meaney-Delman said.
New York state health officials reported Thursday that nearly all of the vape products that it has tested containing THC also contained vitamin E acetate, an oil-like substance that can be harmful if inhaled.
But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is running its own tests on 120 samples of vaping liquids, said vitamin E is “one piece of the puzzle.”
“No one substance or compound, including vitamin E, has been identified in all samples tested,” said Mitch Zeller, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.