While many individuals have insisted that vaping and smoking e-cigarettes is perfectly safe to do, some recent news out of America appears to prove otherwise.
US health officials say an Illinois patient has become the first person to die as a result of the vaping-related lung illness outbreak that is affecting people across the country, Buzzfeed News reported.
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There is currently an unprecedented amount of patients being admitted to hospitals with serious lung injuries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently reported that a total of 193 people have been affected by the illness, upping that number from the initial 153 reported earlier this week.
“The severity of illness people are experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out that using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous,” Ngozi Ezike, an official from the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a statement .
The person who died in Illinois had initially been hospitalized with a “severe respiratory illness.”
That individual has since died, though no information has been given as to whether they had any pre-existing conditions. Illinois Health Department hasn’t released the name, age, or gender of this person, but they have been confirmed to have been an adult.
Melanie Arnold, the Illinois department’s health information, officer, confirmed that this is “the first death of an individual in Illinois who has been hospitalized for severe respiratory illness with reported vaping-e-cigarette use.”
The outbreak, which has been linked to vaping and using e-cigarettes, first began back in June of this year.
Those affected have largely been teens and young adults who report significant chest pain and difficulty breathing. Some have even required ventilators to breathe.
In Illinois alone, there have been a total of 22 reported cases of patients being admitted for the illness.
These patients range in age from 17-38 and have all reported experiencing respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Some also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.
The IHD said it is now working with local health departments to investigate another 12 individuals and has also contacted the CDC to investigate these cases as well.
As of right now, it is unclear what exactly is causing this nationwide respiratory illness outbreak.
Many patients hospitalized have reported vaping oils containing THC, the marijuana ingredient that gets you high, prior to the onset of their symptoms.
FDA official Mitch Zeller said investigators are now looking into these vaping oils used by patients, as well as the various devices they used before the onset of their illnesses.
Dr. Robert R. Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said people need to recognize the health risks associated with vaping.
“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 flavorings, nicotine, cannabinoids, and solvents,” he said in a statement .
He added, “CDC has been warning about the identified and potential dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping since these devices first appeared. E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.”
h/t: Buzzfeed News
