SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (WKZO AM/FM) — State health officials announced this week that a second person in Michigan has died from complications linked to vaping.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said that it was notified of an adult male who died from a vaping-related lung injury on Tuesday, November 26th. The department has not released the name of the individual or specific information relating to their death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency tasked with monitoring the spread of illnesses, has reported that there had been 47 deaths nationwide prior to the recent one in Michigan.
State officials confirmed earlier in the fall that the first vaping-related death of a Michigan resident occurred on October 2nd. MDHHS says that since August there have been 56 cases of lung injury linked to the use of vaping products in the state.
Incidents of sickness related to vaping came into the national spotlight during the summer of 2019. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an emergency ban of flavored vaping products on October 2nd to curtail use by minors.
Additionally, sales of marijuana vaping products were put to a temporary halt last week after regulators cited the need for testing of additives. The chemical substance Vitamin E Acetate has been found in those suffering lung injuries and officials are monitoring current vaping inventory in the state for traces of the additive.
The use of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed in recent years, as the availability and variety vaping products has grown and consumers opt for an activity until recently considered safer than smoking cigarettes.
The practice is especially popular among young people, with the Pew Center reporting that from 2017 to 2019 the share of high school seniors taking up vaping increased by 14%.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning that people who do not currently use tobacco products should not start using e-cigarette or vaping products.
