Death in Illinois Possibly Linked to Vaping; Hospitalizations Across U.S. Continue to Rise

Health officials in Illinois say a man who contracted a
serious lung disease after vaping died Friday, which could be the first death
in the U.S. linked to vaping or E-cigarette use. The Illinois Department of
Public Health said in a news release that the patient was between 17 and 38
years old and had been hospitalized after becoming sick after vaping. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this week that 149 people
around the nation had contracted a “severe respiratory illness” after vaping. All
of the illnesses reported by the CDC were in teens or adults who had used an
electronic cigarette or some other kind of vaping device. Patients have been
experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough and weight loss. 


In
Wisconsin, the state Department of Health Services says as of August 22nd,
there were 16 confirmed cases of severe lung disease caused by vaping with
another 15 under investigation. DHS says patients in Wisconsin had reported
vaping in the weeks and months prior to hospitalization, but the names and
types of products they used were still not known.