According to official statistics, more than 2,500 people were hospitalized due to lung injuries related to vaping in the United States. The data was shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaping injuries have been observed in all 50 states. The CDC has also stated that 54 confirmed deaths were recorded in the District of Columbia and the following states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
A previous report published on December 12 mentioned 2,409 hospitalized cases and 52 deaths. The CDC has decided to include in the report only severe cases that require hospitalization, and more than 175 cases have been removed from the previous statistic.
Vaping Caused More Than 2,500 Hospitalizations
Deceased patients had a median age of 52 years. Their ages ranged from 17 to 75, and many deaths remain under investigation, according to the agency. The vaping outbreak peaked during the middle of September, but new cases and deaths surface each week.
Both the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urge citizens to avoid the use of e-cigarette products that contain THC. Recent studies infer that vitamin E acetate, which is used in the thickening of select vaping products, can be linked to the appearance of lung injury. However, several substances are being investigated, and some of them have the potential to be harmful.
A recent survey revealed that marijuana vaping is a trend among youth, with more than 20% of 12th graders reporting that they vaped marijuana in the last year while 19.4% of the 10th graders and 7% of eight graders indulged in the same act. It is hoped that awareness will increase in the following year as more people will learn that THC vaping is linked to acute lung injuries.
