Vaping-Linked Death Toll Reaches 5, Nearly 500 Sick From Lung Illness Associated With E-Cigarettes


The death toll from the mysterious lung illness linked to vaping has reached five according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also announced that there have been nearly 500 cases of people getting sick from e-cigarettes.

In the CDC’s latest report on the outbreak of lung illness associated with using e-cigarette products, the government health agency said five people have died from a vaping-linked sickness. The e-cigarette-related deaths have been confirmed in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Oregon. The first vape-related death happened in Illinois.

The latest victim was a person over 55 from California who had pre-existing health problems. The victim in Minnesota who died in August was over 65-years-old and had “a long and complicated hospitalization.” Investigators said the person’s death “was associated with vaping illicit THC products.” But many of the people who have suffered from the e-cigarette-linked pulmonary illness have been healthy young people in the teens and twenties.

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The CDC also revealed that there have been “over 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette products” as of September 6, 2019. The cases have been reported in 33 states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Deleware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/images/lung-illness-map-0906-650×423.jpg

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People struck with the puzzling illness linked to e-cigs suffer from symptoms such as chest pain, fever, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Health officials are asking anyone who experiences illness linked to vaping and e-cigarettes to report them to the FDA HERE.

All of the victims of the lung illness vaped recently, but medical professionals are not positive whether the devices or the liquid are causing the sickness. Chemicals are believed to be the culprit according to Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the CDC. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil has been involved in many of the cases, but there have also been ties to nicotine, but in fewer cases.

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Health officials have warned Americans to avoid vaping until they can pinpoint what is causing the sickness and deaths. “While the investigation is ongoing, CDC has advised that individuals consider not using e-cigarettes — because as of now, this is the primary means of preventing this severe lung disease,” said Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, a CDC official overseeing the current outbreak.

The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public not to buy vaping products off the street because they could be altered.

It should be noted that smoking traditional cigarettes kill 7 million people per year according to the CDC. Many people substitute their smoking habits for vaping habits, which most health professionals view as a safer alternative.

You can read more news about vaping and e-cigarettes HERE.

RELATED: Study Finds Daily Vapers Twice As Likely To Suffer Heart Attack, If You Smoke Cigarettes And Vape It’s Way Worse

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