KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Health concerns over the safety of electronic cigarettes grew Thursday following the death of a St. Louis area man.
The Missouri Department of Heath and Human Services attributed a vaping-related lung injury to the death of a man in his 40s.
It’s the eighth such death nationwide. Kansas health officials announced a similar vaping-related death last week.
Health officials at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis said the man had no previous lung illness.
“He started out with shortness of breath and it rapidly progressed and deteriorated, developing into what is called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),” Dr. Michael Plisco, a doctor at Mercy Hospital, said. “Once the lungs are injured by vaping, we don’t know how quickly it worsens and if it depends on other risk factors.”
In addition to the death, the health department said it’s received 22 other reports of vaping-related illnesses since late August.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising youth, young adults, women who are pregnant and adults who don’t currently use tobacco products to not start using e-cigarettes.
