CDC Reports Over 1,200 Vaping-Related Illnesses Nationwide

The vaping illness and death toll has risen again as more reports of vaping-related illnesses flood in nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update October 10, confirming the number of vaping illness cases has increased to 1,299 cases. These reports stretch across 49 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

However, the current number cases could be relatively low, given that many e-cigarette illnesses have yet to be reported to the CDC.

“The increasing number of lung injury cases we see associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping, is deeply concerning,” said Dr. Robert R. Redfield, MD, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a prior media statement.  “Unfortunately, this may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the escalating health threat this outbreak poses to the American public, particularly youth and young adults.”

The CDC also reported that 26 people across 21 states have died from their vaping respiratory illness injuries. Patients hospitalized for their vaping-related lung injuries reported symptoms including trouble breathing, coughing, chest pain, and nausea.

Despite the ongoing investigation, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC have not found a common vaping product or chemical to be the root of the vaping-illness problem. However, the CDC confirmed that a large percentage of hospitalized patients reported vaping THC-containing products. This includes patients who vaped THC products exclusively or in addition to vaping nicotine containing products.

Given the current data, the CDC recommends for people not to use e-cigarette products containing THC or to buy vaping products containing THC off the street. The CDC also warns the public to not modify or add any substances to vaping products that were not intended by the manufacturer.

Vaping Injury Lawsuits

A growing number of vaping lawsuits are being filed against e-cigarette manufacturers and sellers for causing the injuries of individuals across the US. Notably, young adults and parents of teenagers are filing claims against JUUL Labs for allegedly marketing e-cigarettes to underage consumers and minimizing the health risks of vaping JUUL products.

The FDA indicates that JUUL Labs is one of the primary e-cigarette companies at the heart of the US vaping epidemic. Many JUUL addiction lawsuits accuse JUUL Labs of misleading consumers about the addiction risks of using their products. Individuals, ranging from teenagers to adults, claim they developed crippling nicotine addictions and/or injuries due to JUULs deceptive marketing campaigns, which allegedly downplayed the risks of using JUUL vaping products.

JUUL Labs currently faces investigation in the United States over whether it marketed nicotine products to underage consumers.