We’ve talked a lot about the dangers surrounding the popular e-cigarettes and teenage vaping. But as news breaks this week about the 6th death nationwide possibly linked to vaping, officials are warning people everywhere: Do not use e-cigarettes.
With at least 483 severe lung illnesses across 39 states, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are looking into possible causes, as growing concerns emerge over mysterious lung disease.
“It is not an infection, it does not respond to antibiotics, and it is very severe,” says Dr. David Persse, with the Houston Public Health Authority.
In Portland, Oregon, 25-year-old Justin Wilson was hospitalized for more than a week after suddenly collapsing while eating dinner with friends on Sept. 1.
Justin had taken up vaping last year as a way to quit smoking, an idea that both he and his father, Jake Wilson, were excited about.
“I thought it was a great idea. I was so happy that he wasn’t smoking anymore. Now, there was this healthier vaping,” Jake told TODAY.
After he collapsed on Sept. 1., Justin spent several days unconscious and unable to breathe on his own. According to his family, even a ventilator couldn’t keep him alive. Doctors were at a loss until they arrived at the official diagnosis: vaping toxicity.
