Vaping Lung Injuries Show Steady Climb, Rising to 1,299 Cases

(Bloomberg) -- The number of vaping-related lung-injury cases in the U.S. rose to 1,299 through Tuesday, up from 1,205 reported last week, according to new federal data.

• The number of deaths also rose to 26 from 18, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday in its weekly update on the outbreak.

Key Insights

• The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, and no single product or substance has been linked to it in all cases.
• But products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, continue to be a key suspect in the outbreak. The CDC said among cases where detailed information was available, 76% had used THC products, either alone or in combination with nicotine products. Only 13% of sick patients said they exclusively used nicotine vape products.
• The lung injuries are especially affecting younger men. Roughly 80% of those injured are under 35 years old, and 70% are male. Cases have been reported in 49 states, the District of Columbia and one U.S. territory.

Know More

• Some early signs of health risks linked to vaping were missed or ignored by scientists and regulators.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Langreth in New York at rlangreth@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Drew Armstrong at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net, Timothy Annett

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