Public health officials in Georgia and Florida have identified the first cases of lung injury associated with vaping in their states.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said Sept. 25 that the state had its first death from a vaping-associated illness. The Florida Department of Health has identified one death associated with vaping on its online database.
The deaths in Georgia and Florida bring the number of reported deaths linked to vaping to at least 11.
There have been more than 500 cases of lung injury associated with vaping reported from 38 states and 1 U.S. territory, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A CDC official said on Sept. 24 that she expects there to be more deaths and injuries linked to vaping. Officials have not tied the cause of the outbreak to a single product or chemical.
The Georgia patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping but no reported history of vaping THC, the high-inducing chemical in cannabis, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
Most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products with THC, according to the CDC. Many patients have reported vaping both THC and nicotine products, and some have reported vaping nicotine-only products.
The Florida Department of Health could not be reached for more details about its vaping-associated death.
Cigarettes cause more than 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.
