ATLANTA, Ga. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday that 39 vaping-related deaths have now been reported.
Those deaths were confirmed in 24 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama (1), California (3), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), D.C. (1), Florida (1), Georgia (3), Illinois (3), Indiana (3), Kansas (2), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Mississippi (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (1), Utah (1), and Virginia (1).
The median age of the deceased is 53 years and ranged from 17 to 75 years old, according to the CDC.
As of Tuesday, the CDC says 2,051 confirmed and probable lung injury cases associated with the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products were reported across all states except Alaska.
The lung injury associated with the outbreak is being called EVALI. The CDC says all patients in the outbreak have reported a history with e-cigarette products.
Officials say the latest findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources, are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak.
“THC is present in most of the samples tested by FDA to date, and most patients report a history of using THC-containing products,” writes the CDC.
At this time, the FDA and CDC have not identified the cause or causes of the lung injuries in these cases.
“No one compound or ingredient has emerged as the cause of these illnesses to date; and it may be that there is more than one cause of this outbreak.”
The CDC continues to recommend that consumers not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC. People are also discouraged from buying any type of vaping products, particularly those containing THC, off the street. You should also not modify or add any substances to e-cigarettes that are not intended by the manufacturer.
