Illinois man dies from vaping-related lung illness, health department continues probe even as patient numbers rise
ILLINOIS, CHICAGO: In what could be the first vaping-related death in the country, a man from Illinois has reportedly died after developing a respiratory illness from using the smoking alternative. According to CBS Chicago, the man succumbed to lung disease.
However, the name of the person, his age or his address was not released. They also did not specify whether the patient used an e-cigarette or another vaping device. The substance that was vaped was also not disclosed.
In a statement, the department said that the number of cases of people reported to IDPH-related to vaping has doubled in the last week. A total of 22 people, ranging in age from 17-38 years, have experienced respiratory illness after using e-cigarettes or vaping, they said. "More information is needed to know what is causing these illnesses," said Ileana Arias, an official with the CDC.
"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," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
"We requested a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help us investigate these cases and they arrived in Illinois on Tuesday." The IDPH also said that it is working with other health agencies to investigate 12 other cases.
"According to the CDC, in many cases, including Illinois, patients have acknowledged to health care personnel the recent use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products. However, no specific product has been identified in all cases, nor has any product been conclusively linked to illnesses," the IDHP said in the statement.
"Even though cases appear similar, it is not clear if these cases have a common cause or if they are different diseases with similar symptoms."
The fatality comes to light just days after the Centre for Disease Control announced that it would be an investigation into the reports of lung illnesses that could be related to vaping.
They have not confirmed whether the culprit really is the smoking alternative and are still investigating the possibilities, including looking into irritants and flavorings.
"We're at a relatively early stage of understanding," Mitchell Zeller, director for the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA, said on Friday, August 23, reported the New York Times. Even though vaping is regarded as a better alternative to smoking, the long term effects of vaping are still largely unknown.
Vaping advocacy groups, however, have blamed street vapes containing synthetic drugs for the rise in lung illnesses. The American Vaping Association told MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) in a statement that the results "will show that amateur-made street vapes containing THC or synthetic drugs were responsible for these illnesses, not nicotine vaping products."
Gregory Conley, President of AVA, added that the incidents were confirmed in California. "We expect other authorities to soon recognize the massive differences between oil-based, street-bought THC cartridges and nicotine vaping products," he said.