13 January 2020
Cases and Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state agencies have reported 2,602 lung injury cases that required hospitalization and 59 deaths linked to vaping.
Vaping-related emergency room visits peaked in September and mostly involved younger people, especially young men and boys.
Vaping Regulations
Several states and cities have announced or enacted vaping bans in response to the recent illnesses and deaths.
Lung Damage
Patients with vaping-related lung injuries typically show up in emergency rooms with shortness of breath after several days of symptoms that resemble flu or pneumonia.
Below, a CT scan of a patient in Utah whose lungs were injured from vaping.
Patient Demographics
Seventy percent of those who became ill were male:
Two-thirds were between ages 18 and 34:
What They Vaped
No single substance has been shown to cause the illness, but several marijuana products have been identified as possible causes.
Common Brands
A study of 86 lung-injury patients in Wisconsin and Illinois found that 87 percent reported using vaping products that contained THC.
“Dank Vapes” was the most commonly reported brand name, but that brand is one of many illicit labels that sellers can find online and slap on products.
Vaping Use Among Teens
Teen vaping rates rose sharply this year, and a quarter of 12th grade students say they have used nicotine vaping products in the last month. More than 120 lung injury patients have been under 18.
