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Vaping death reported in Delaware

The news comes days after New Jersey also announced a death.

Vaping and the use of flavored nicotine products are under fire in California and across the United States. On Thursday, Delaware confirmed its first vaping-related death in the state.
Vaping and the use of flavored nicotine products are under fire in California and across the United States. On Thursday, Delaware confirmed its first vaping-related death in the state.Read morePeggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

Officials from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced Thursday that a patient with a vaping-related lung illness has died, marking the state’s first such death. It did not provide any further information about the person who died.

New Jersey announced its first vaping death on Tuesday.

Delaware officials said their state has had 11 cases of lung injury that meet the government definition for probable or confirmed vaping-related illness. Nationally, there have been more than 1,000 cases of lung injury and 18 confirmed deaths associated with e-cigarette products and vaping, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. No single product or substance has been linked to all lung injury cases.

In a written statement, Karyl Rattay, DPH director, said the department recommends that people not use vaping or e-cigarette products. “At this time, no vaping is safe,” she said.

The department said that there is no evidence that the lung injury has been caused by an infectious disease. “Chemical exposure” is the more likely culprit. Many patients, the release said, have reported using e-cigarettes with liquids containing cannabinoid products.