Indiana has reported its first vaping-related death, news outlets claim. The victim, an adult, was older than 18, officials said. But authorities did not reveal his or her identity.
This horrific story reminds us of another deadly incident we reported on our blog several months ago.
On Friday, the Indiana State Department of Health said that a person who died because of a vaping-related injury was the state’s first. However, this death is the third nationwide associated with the popular electronic cigarettes.
Other states impacted include Oregon and Illinois.
According to state health officials, this death is a “tragic loss” and serves as a dire warning “that we cannot ignore.”
Because these products often contain nicotine, officials added, vaping pens can be highly addictive.
“While it is unclear what substances are causing injury,” the official told the media, “when you use these products with other chemicals, you may not know everything that you’re inhaling and the harm it can cause.”
The dangers associated with electronic cigarettes are countless, especially because many users rely on these pens to smoke substances other than just nicotine-based products. And because these items aren’t typically sold by licensed and regulated sellers, they can be dangerous.
Furthermore, these pens are now widely popular among teenagers.
According to the 2018 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey, since 2012 vaping increased 387 percent among high school-age teens, while the use of the pens increased 358 among middle school students. Officials said that this latest death is due to a severe lung injury caused by vaping. Federal health agencies are looking into other 20 cases that could also be tied to vaping. Other 33 states reported 450 possible illnesses that could also be linked to the electronic cigarettes.
Health Officials Warn: Vaping Puts Your Health In Jeopardy
After this horrific and deadly case of vaping-related lung injuries, officials are urging consumers to seek medical help if they vaped within the last 90 days and developed symptoms. Stop using the vaping pens immediately and do not postpone seeing a doctor.
In the state of Indiana alone, officials saw 35,000 more students pick up the vaping pen smoking habit between 2016 and 2018. This death only made the situation worse, and prompted state officials to pledge millions to fight youth vaping.
Read more about this here.
