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'First vape death in the US' recorded in Illinois | 'First vape death in the US' recorded in Illinois |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A patient has died after developing a severe respiratory disease due to vaping in the first such death in the US, say health officials. | |
The US state of Illinois' health agency said the unnamed patient was between 17 and 38 years old. | The US state of Illinois' health agency said the unnamed patient was between 17 and 38 years old. |
It comes amid an outbreak of lung disease across the US that officials have linked to use of e-cigarettes. | |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said nearly 200 people have fallen ill from vaping nationwide. | |
CDC director Robert Redfield said: "We are saddened to hear of the first death related to the outbreak of severe lung disease in those who use e-cigarette or 'vaping' devices." | |
He added: "This tragic death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products. | |
"Vaping exposes users to many different substances for which we have little information about related harms - including flavourings, nicotine, cannabinoids and solvents." | |
He said vaping devices were not safe for children, young adults, pregnant women or even adults who do not normally use tobacco products. | |
Also on Friday, the CDC said it was aware of 193 potential cases of severe lung disease in 22 states that could be caused by vaping. | |
Twenty-two of the cases were in Illinois. | |
This is a sharp rise in only two days; on Wednesday, the agency was recording 153 such cases in 16 states. | |
Those affected had symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue as well as some cases of vomiting and diarrhoea. | Those affected had symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue as well as some cases of vomiting and diarrhoea. |
The CDC said it is unclear if the illnesses are related, but that they do not appear to stem from any infectious disease. | |
"In many cases, patients have acknowledged recent use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing product," the CDC said, referring to the active compound present in cannabis. | "In many cases, patients have acknowledged recent use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing product," the CDC said, referring to the active compound present in cannabis. |
The president of the American Vaping Association, Gregory Conley, said in a statement on Thursday that he was "confident" the illnesses were being caused by devices containing cannabis or other synthetic drugs, not nicotine. | |
At least two people have previously died in the US after their e-cigarette exploded in their face. |