1. An electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, is a battery powered vaporizer. The person using the e-cigarette inhales a mixture of nicotine, solvents, flavors and water that is super heated to create a vapor.
2. Electronic cigarettes have been marketed as a way to help smokers quit smoking cigarettes. The Federal Drug Administration, the agency that regulates e-cigarettes as tobacco products, has not approved vaporizers for smoking cessation.
3. The first reported death from a vaping related illness was reported on Aug. 23 in Illinois.
4. As of Oct. 8, 2019, 1,299 lung injury cases associated with using e-cigarette, or vaping, products have been reported to CDC from 48 states and one U.S. territory.
5. Twenty-six deaths have been confirmed in 21 states.
6. Most patients report a history of using products containing THC. The latest national and regional findings suggest products containing THC play a role in the outbreak.
7. Approximately 70% of patients are male.
8. The specific chemical exposure(s) causing lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, remains unknown.
9. No single product or substance has been linked to all lung injury cases.
- The outbreak is occurring in the context of a dynamic marketplace for e-cigarette, or vaping, products, which may have a mix of ingredients, complex packaging and supply chains, and include potentially illicit substances.
- Users may not know what is in their e-cigarette or e-liquid solutions. Many of the products and substances can be modified by suppliers or users. They can be obtained from stores, online retailers, informal sources (e.g. friends, family members), or "off the street."
Cox Media Group
