Vaping: Another death from lung illness reported
CNNCNN — Oregon health officials are investigating a death from severe respiratory illness that could be linked to vaping, according to an announcement made Tuesday by the Oregon Health Authority. Health officials say it’s unclear whether there’s a connection between cases, whether vaping definitively caused these illnesses and what components or chemicals of e-cigarettes might be responsible. “We don’t yet know the exact cause of these illnesses – whether they’re caused by contaminants, ingredients in the liquid or something else, such as the device itself,” Dr. Ann Thomas, public health physician at Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, said in a statement. The report comes after US health officials revealed new national figures on Friday: As of August 27, there are at least 215 possible cases in 25 states of severe lung disease that could be caused by vaping – with additional cases still under investigation, according to a statement by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration.