State health officials have confirmed the first death of an Indiana resident with a severe lung injury linked to a history of vaping.
The death of the individual, who was older than 18 years of age, was confirmed Sept. 5 as part of an investigation involving health officials at the local and federal levels and in surrounding states, the Indiana State Department of Health said.
Health officials declined to release additional details about the patient, including in which county the death occurred, citing privacy laws. The death is at least the third linked to vaping in the United States.
“The tragic loss of a Hoosier and rising number of vaping-related injuries are warnings that we cannot ignore,” said Kris Box, state health commissioner. “We know that these products typically contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and many cases report inhaling THC and other substances not available in commercial products. While it is unclear what substances are causing injury, when you use these products with other chemicals, you may not know everything that you’re inhaling and the harm it can cause.”
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Several patients who told doctors they vape have recently sought treatment in the Columbus Regional Hospital emergency department complaining of respiratory distress, which can range from difficulty breathing to more serious respiratory conditions, said Kelsey DeClue, CRH spokeswoman.
“However, our staff cannot definitively link their acute experience to vaping solely,” DeClue said.
An electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, is a hand-held, battery-powered device that simulates smoking by creating a nicotine-laced aerosol that users inhale. Electronic cigarettes come in different shapes and sizes, though some look like traditional cigarettes.
E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco. Instead, they have cartridges that contain a mixture of nicotine and other chemicals. The use of electronic cigarettes is often referred to as “vaping” due to the vapor-like aerosol the devices emits.
Indiana is investigating 30 cases of severe lung injury linked to vaping, state health officials said. Eight of those have been confirmed. The majority of the Indiana cases have occurred among individuals ages 16 to 29 years. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said more than 215 cases have been reported, with more under investigation.
Box said many patients across the U.S. have developed severe symptoms that required emergency intervention and urged anyone who has vaped within the last 90 days and develops respiratory symptoms to stop using these products and see a healthcare professional immediately.
Symptoms can include shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, fatigue, fever, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, state health officials said.
The use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, among young people is a rising public health crisis across the United States, with 19.2% of teens reporting they used e-cigarettes in 2018 — a 60% increase from the year before, according to Monitoring the Future’s National Adolescent Drug Trends survey.
In Bartholomew County, 29% of high school seniors at Bartholomew County School Corp. schools have reported using an e-cigarette, according to data presented during a Columbus City Council meeting in June.
In August, Columbus city council members approved an amended smoking ordinance that prohibits the use of electronic smoking devices, or e-cigarettes and vape pens, in places where smoking is banned in the city. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 19.
