The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says there have been close to 200 potential cases of severe lung illness that could be tied to vaping, using e-cigarettes.
The health agencies in almost two dozen states have so far reported cases of the vaping related illness.The state of Maryland this week said several people with the illness there required hospitalization. One person, in Illinois, has died.
Health officials say symptoms of this vaping related lung illness include shortness of breath, pain when breathing, coughing, fever and digestive problems.
So what is going on?
According to the Washington Post, the Tobacco Control Program in D.C. says e-cigarettes include not only nicotine but other harmful chemicals at much higher rates that in cigarettes.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 3-and a half million middle and high school kids used e-cigarettes last year.
Some local cities and the state legislature in California either have or are considering passing laws banning the sale of flavored tobacco in an effort to fight what health officials are calling the epidemic of e-cigarette use among teens.
Those in the fight say kids are led to believe that vaping is safe and that it’s not like smoking cigarettes.But now with the growing number of cases of lung illness being reported across the country, they’re hoping a lot of the vaping among teens dissipates.
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