Los Angeles County reports 1st vaping-related death
UPDATE 9/6/2019 3:10 p.m. A recent death in Los Angeles County that may be linked to the use of e-cigarettes has the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issuing a warning about the devices, saying they are potentially harmful to proper lung function.
The department of public health said there have been 12 reports of vaping-associated pulmonary injury cases in Los Angeles County.
“Nationwide, we are learning how dangerous these devices may be, and the long-term health impacts remain unknown at this time,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County Health Officer. “As their popularity rises, especially among teens and young adults, we are compelled to warn our 10 million residents that the risks of using these devices, with or without nicotine, marijuana, CBD or some street concoction, may now include severe lung injury.”
Nationwide, there are reports of people going to emergency departments with similar symptoms that include coughing, difficulty breathing, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCLA said that the growing number of cases of pulmonary illnesses relating to vaping underscores how much is still unknown about the extent of the harm vaping can cause.
The department of public health is also asking healthcare providers to look for signs of respiratory illness among patients who have recently used vaping products.
PREVIOUS STORY: Health authorities say they are investigating Los Angeles County’s first known death associated with vaping.
The county Department of Public Health has scheduled a press conference on the issue for Friday afternoon.
The department says in an advisory that 12 cases of pulmonary injury associated with use of e-cigarettes have been reported in Los Angeles County, and urges the public to take precautions.
Earlier Friday, U.S. health officials renewed calls for people to stop vaping until they figure out why some are coming down with serious breathing illnesses.
Officials said they had identified 450 possible illnesses, including at least three deaths, in 33 states.
