Georgia Running Totals

[niman]

DPH Identifies First Death From Vaping-Associated Illness

DPH has identified the state’s first death from a vaping-associated illness. The patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no reported history of vaping THC. DPH has identified nine cases, including the death, of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, and other possible cases are being reviewed. All patients were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with no known infectious cause. Cases range in age from 18 to 68 years (median age 26 years), 78% are male.

https://dph.georgia.gov/

[niman]

DPH Identifies First Death From Vaping-Associated Illness

DPH has identified the state’s first death from a vaping-associated illness. The patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no reported history of vaping THC. DPH has identified nine cases, including the death, of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, and other possible cases are being reviewed. All patients were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with no known infectious cause. Cases range in age from 18 to 68 years (median age 26 years), 78% are male.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to investigate more than 500 cases of vaping-associated illness. No specific e-cigarette device or substance has been linked to all cases. Most patients have reported a history of using vaping products containing THC. Many patients have reported using THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of e-cigarette products containing only nicotine.

Governor Brian P. Kemp and DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H. urge individuals to follow the CDC recommendation that individuals not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices while this investigation is ongoing. Without knowing the specific cause of the vaping-associated illness, discontinuing use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices is the best prevention against becoming ill.  

E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. People who use e-cigarette products should not buy vaping products off the street and should not modify or add any substances to e-cigarette products.

Symptoms of vaping-associated illness, which worsen over time, include cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. People with a history of vaping who are experiencing breathing problems or any of these symptoms should seek medical care.

For more information about e-cigarettes and vaping, visit https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html#latest-outbreak-information.

[niman]

Despite an ongoing national investigation of vaping-related illnesses and deaths, Davis told NBC News that it was difficult at first to convince health officials to look for a link between Mary Kerrie's vaping history and her death.

An autopsy and other tests have since been completed, with results pending.

The Georgia Department of Health has reported one death from vaping-related lung illness, but it's believed to be of a different person.

Davis is convinced vaping is to blame for her mother's death.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/breath-precious-daughter-woman-who-died-vaping-speaks-out-n1059101

[niman]

:28 PBy Erika Edwards

Maggie Davis cannot remember a time when her mother, Mary Kerrie, didn't smoke.

Davis, of Blairsville, Georgia, said her mother gravitated toward e-cigarettes about a decade ago, as a way to quit traditional tobacco. She assumed they were healthier.

 

On Sept. 6, Mary Kerrie Davis, 52, died suddenly.

Davis' father called her with the crushing news.

"The first thing I said was, 'You have to get this investigated,'" Davis told NBC News.

"I'm never smoking again"

Davis, 21, said her mother usually smoked e-cigarettes with nicotine, but started using THC cartridges about a year ago.

Because THC is illegal in Georgia, Davis said her mother turned to the black market.

This past July, Mary Kerrie traveled from her Georgia home to California and vaped legal marijuana, according to Davis.

When Mary Kerrie returned home, she developed a ragged cough, and was initially diagnosed with pneumonia.

Davis wrote about her mother's illness, death and the ensuing investigation in a poignant essay published by her college's newspaper, the Pepperdine University Graphic.

"My mother groaned between coughs, 'I'm never smoking again; I'm throwing out all of my e-cigarettes and weed pens,'" she wrote.

"My father, a doctor who is all too familiar with the dangers of vaping, responded to her declaration of quitting by saying, 'Good, Mary. There are some things that are precious, like your vision and your breath, and you just can’t hurt those things.'"

"'Breath is precious,' my mom repeated."

Davis said she texted her mom, telling her she hoped it wasn't the "vaping disease" that was going around. At that time, news of the mysterious illnesses had started to circulate nationwide.

Two days later, Mary Kerrie was dead.

"It was devastating," Davis said. "Over and over again, all I could say was, 'why MY mom?'"

It's torn my family apart. It took my mom away from me.

Despite an ongoing national investigation of vaping-related illnesses and deaths, Davis told NBC News that it was difficult at first to convince health officials to look for a link between Mary Kerrie's vaping history and her death.

An autopsy and other tests have since been completed, with results pending.

The Georgia Department of Health has reported one death from vaping-related lung illness, but it's believed to be of a different person.

Davis is convinced vaping is to blame for her mother's death.

"It's torn my family apart," she said. "It took my mom away from me."

Maggie Davis, seen here as a baby, says vaping is to blame for her mother's death at age 52.Courtesy Maggie Davis

She said writing the essay for her college paper has been therapeutic in the weeks since her mother's death.

"My mother had declared she was done with vaping, yet her decision came too late," Davis wrote. "She will never see her youngest daughter graduate high school, nor her oldest graduate college. She will never see her daughters married or meet her grandchildren."

"Her absence, a sudden and jarring hole in my family, will be felt for decades to come."

oman who died from vaping speaks out

Her mother turned to e-cigarettes because she thought they were safer than regular tobacco. They ended up killing her.

[niman]

Breath is Precious: The Vaping Disease Killed My Mother

BY MARY MARGARET DAVIS

Photo courtesy of Mary Margaret Davis

At first, the doctors said it was pneumonia.

On the way back from the hospital two days before her death, my mother groaned between coughs, “I’m never smoking again; I’m throwing out all of my e-cigarettes and weed pens.”

This was a groundbreaking statement from my mother, who, like many, had embraced vaping as an alternative to smoking with swift, open arms. Despite recent protests from loved ones, she was adamant for years that it was far healthier than her cigarette habit. Having always believed marijuana was not a dangerous drug to consume, Mom began to vape THC products in late 2018 — not long after California legalized the drug for recreational use.

If I knew my mother, she would try to move mountains before she would declare she was quitting either drug. It’s easy to assume just how much pain she was in to say this.

My father, a doctor who is all too familiar with the dangers of vaping, responded to her declaration of quitting by saying, “Good, Mary. There are some things that are precious, like your vision and your breath, and you just can’t hurt those things.”

“Breath is precious,” my mom repeated.

On Friday, Sept. 6, my father found her blue in the lips, struggling for such precious air but unable to grasp it. She had most likely suffered for hours. Her death came swiftly after.

Later, X-rays revealed a white substance infiltrating her lungs, clouds as silky as the puffs of vape she would exhale. Those clouds weren’t there when she had an X-ray two days before her death; they had developed as rapidly as an unexpected thunderstorm, unleashing an onslaught of destruction on her system and ultimately killing her. Relentless. No mercy given.

These X-rays confirmed what my family had feared; this wasn’t a simple case of pneumonia, this was the new vaping illness sweeping the nation with fury. The white substance in her lungs was one of many symptoms associated with this new disease. Just as many others had, she suffered from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other symptoms reported are coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain.

The Investigation

When Mom died, my father immediately requested an autopsy to confirm our suspicions. The deputy coroner working on the night of her death said in response, “An autopsy is not in the budget unless it’s requested by the GBI [Georgia Bureau of Investigation].”

“Well,” my father responded, “I think this is one that needs to be investigated.”

Dad began to explain my mother’s death in the way he would repeat until it was practically ingrained in him: Mary Kerrie Davis took a trip to California in July. She vaped legal marijuana. She had a cough when she returned home. She developed what you could barely call pulmonary pneumonia, and she was an otherwise healthy woman; this is a sudden death that should be investigated. Yes, she also vaped nicotine for years.

The next day, Dad turned to the local Blairsville sheriff’s office. Again my father explained her death. The deputy on duty told him, “I don’t see how her vaping in California is a crime in Union County.”

Again, my father explained the vaping illness. With some pushing, the GBI performed their autopsy.

Everywhere we turned, the response was the same: Where was the crime? What are the mysterious circumstances? A Georgia judge my dad had contacted for advice said, “You know, in all my years of serving, I have never seen a death related to THC.”

Then turning to the world of medicine, Dad reached out to my mother’s primary care physician and close family friend. Agreeing that her death was concerning, he reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who in turn directed him to the Georgia Department of Health, who then advised that he file a report with poison control. We found ourselves at a standstill.

No one who my father contacted, whether it be law enforcement or medical professionals, seemed to be aware of the national vaping epidemic aside from her primary care physician.

On Monday, Sept. 9, we got word that Mom’s autopsy was complete, and the funeral home would pick her up the following day. At the same time, my family found incriminating messages on my mother’s phone; she had been purchasing THC cartridges illegally in Georgia. We began to search the house and came across several cartridges. The next step was obvious: these needed to be tested. My father swiftly called a GBI officer he had known for some time; he told my father he would make some calls.

After this, my father called the GBI crime lab where they had taken Mom. He was put directly in contact with her medical examiner, where he expressed his concerns about vaping.

Hours passed. Impatience grew. My father, deciding instead to take matter into his own hands, then called the GBI office’s tip line. He was directed to the North Georgia Drug Task Force, who immediately sent a Union County narcotics investigator to our home. The officer searched the cartridges we had accumulated, and with a shake of his head, told us, “Yeah, we’ve been having a lot of problems with this brand.”

He took Mom’s phone and the bag of cartridges, and for the first time since her death, my family felt accomplished.

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the funeral home called us. “Our guy went to pick her up, but the GBI told us they wanted to keep her for further testing,” they informed my dad.

“A blessing in disguise,” my dad answered. “They’re taking this seriously.”

The next day, my father called the medical examiner again, curious about the extra tests they had performed. She told him that based on the phone call she received from my father from the day before, she decided to run more tests and take a few more biopsies; this came just hours after she informed the funeral home her body was ready to be cremated. This was an opportunity that we had almost missed.

Several days passed. As the death toll continued to rise and Georgia began to receive reports, my mother’s death did not make headlines. On Sept. 16, the medical examiner reported to my father that it would take four months to confirm her cause of death, despite reports of vaping-related deaths growing in numbers.

Many times throughout the investigation, my tired father hung his head between his hands. “It’s incredible,” he would say, voice laced with the pain of loss, “how much we have to do to get this investigated, how many dots that we have to connect for the officials. It’s incredible how much we have to do just to get the damn weed out of our house. Why wouldn’t they be sending people to talk to us? Why do we have to ask them to do it?”

My mother was a middle-aged woman. At the age of 52, she was not exactly the demographic associated with the vaping disease: men with a median age of 19, according to a recent report by The Washington Post. Although adolescents do make up a large portion of e-cigarette users, 1 in 20 U.S. adults reported using e-cigarettes, according to a 2016 study.

How many people, particularly middle-aged women, are dead because of this disease and haven’t been investigated?

A Not-So-Sudden Rise of Side Effects

The side effects of the vaping disease are not new. In a survey, users of nicotine e-cigarettes reported 405 side effects, with 326 of those being negative, according to a 2014 study titled “Vaping and Health: What Do We Know about E-Cigarettes?.” Such side effects included headaches and changes in appetite. The same study reported “various nicotine-related degradation products and other impurities in e-liquids and vapors,” although it claimed that such impurities were so small, it did not affect human health.

Nicotine toxicity has been known to produce symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Various online forums report similar effects from vaping, dating as far back as 2012. Because vaping marijuana is a relatively new practice, researchers aren’t yet sure of its side effects.

The Absence of Regulation

My mother had declared she was done with vaping, yet her decision came too late. She will never see her youngest daughter graduate high school, nor her oldest graduate college. She will never see her daughters married or meet her grandchildren. Her absence, a sudden and jarring hole in my family, will be felt for decades to come.

Yet I wonder if the blame is fully my mother’s. Was it her decision that was too late, or was it the absent decision of the FDA to tighten regulations on e-cigarettes and marijuana pens? The CDC reports over 450 confirmed cases related to the vaping illness, and more are likely to come as the number of those infected has more than doubled from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9. As the death toll slowly marches upward, there is little being done to further regulate nicotine and marijuana juices.

Pax Labs is the mother company of Juul and was founded in 2007. It has long claimed that e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking. On the front page of the website, the company promotes users to “make the switch,” telling its audience that Juul is a “satisfying alternative” to cigarettes.

For years, research behind their claims as a healthy alternative has been dangerously absent, particularly in long-term studies. The first long-term study reports a higher risk of heart attacks by five-fold, according to a 2018 study published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Such research is still in the early stages, despite e-cigarettes exploding in popularity in the past decade.

Although Juul has claimed that e-cigarettes is an alternative to cigarettes, many adolescents are introduced to vaping before cigarettes. The CDC reported that in 2018, nearly one of every 20 middle school students said that they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, and nearly one of every five high school students said that they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.

In the wake of the new vaping disease, the FDA released a warning letter to Juul on Sept. 9, claiming it had been illegally advertising the message that vaping is healthier than smoking. In the decade since its founding, Juul had not received federal approval to market its product as a safer alternative to smoking. Juul also has not received any federal punishment for marketing this product as such.

Despite boasting fewer carcinogens, Juul pods have more than twice the nicotine found in most cigarettes, according to the Public Health Law Center. Marijuana pens also boast exponentially higher numbers of THC, and yet we still do not know how this historically disproportionate consumption of marijuana affects the human body, particularly when consumed as an oil.

As the consumption of e-cigarettes skyrocketed, particularly among adolescents, the battle against Pax Labs’ claims have begun slowly. When states began to legalize marijuana, vape cartridges containing THC became available to the public, and sales of THC cartridges increased by 50% between 2017 and 2018, according to Forbes. Again, vendors claimed that vaping THC was healthier than traditional smoking methods; on Select Oil’s website, they state, “Actually, it started in Portland, Oregon with a puff, then a bad cough, that led to a thought — why not make a safer cartridge?”

Regulations on cartridges were little to none. The question remains: will the FDA hold THC vendors to the same standard as Juul when claiming that vaping is healthier than smoking?

The call for regulation is not new. A 2014 study claimed that an increase in internet and unregulated sales posed a threat to health. Even last year, marijuana smokers reported being tricked into buying synthetic-laced cannabis oil online.

In illegal selling of THC cartridges, dealers often use “thickening agents” to dilute the amount of THC in a product. Such thickeners have been easily available for purchase online; one can find thickeners easily online. Vitamin E acetate, a thickener that can be bought “for pennies,” had not been approved as an additive for New York’s authorized vape products, according to reporting by UPI. However, that does not stop black market dealers. In the investigation of the vaping disease, the CDC has found that a large number of oil samples included the vitamin E acetate. On Sept 10, New York subpoenaed three companies involved in selling vitamin E acetate.

Putting Together a National Solution

When the Union County Narcotics Officer first came to my family, he informed us that possession of THC cartridges is a felony in the state of Georgia due to its high amount of THC; in the eyes of the law, it is akin to heroin possession. On Sept. 11, Trump called to ban flavored e-cigarette juices, after six official deaths to the vaping illness. But is keeping marijuana illegal and banning vape oil really the right solution?

This disease and outbreak on the verge of national marijuana legalization is not a new phenomenon. During the prohibition period of the 1920s, the lack of federal regulation of alcohol allowed the black market to sell adulterated and even poisonous alcohol. Moonshine, a common alcoholic drink on the black market during that time, has been linked to lead poisoning. Due to its lack of regulation, moonshine has historically been manufactured using lead pipes, lead soldering and even car radiators.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, also has a dangerous black market history prior to its partial 2018 legalization and regulation. In 2017, five Utah patients experienced seizures, confusion, loss of consciousness and hallucinations after consuming what was thought to be CBD oil, but turned out to be a synthetic alternative.

Alternatively, in California, some who have been affected by the vaping disease had turned in favor of cheaper black market alternatives to steeply-priced legal marijuana and nicotine oil.

USA Today reports that some websites advertise synthetic marijuana for as little as $25 per pound, whereas natural CBD can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. A survey of Ohio medical dispensaries showed that many users found legal marijuana to be just too pricey.

The reason for such high prices may be overregulation, with many legal sellers noting the high taxes and compliance costs. Balanced regulation is ultimately what is needed to drive out black-market competition and keep marijuana and nicotine oil clean.

We need more research and balanced regulation, and we need them to be swifter than this disease.

For the inaction of the government, my family pays the consequences. For the past decade, where was the research to tell my mother that no, actually, we don’t know if vaping is healthy and that she should rethink that e-cigarette in favor of nicotine patches or medication? Where are the regulations that should have protected my mother’s life from something as careless as a potential vitamin e-oil contamination in her marijuana pen?

This vape-borne disease spared us no time for goodbyes, I-love-yous or last words. All that my family is left with is anger for the inaction of local authorities and the government and a new understanding of the value of air.

In a hotly debated issue of e-cigarette and marijuana regulation, do not forget the lives that may be at stake. Always remember that breath is precious.

________________

Email Mary Margaret Davis: [email protected]

http://pepperdine-graphic.com/breath-is-precious-the-vaping-disease-killed-my-mother/

[niman]

By 

• Helena Oliviero, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Nine people in state hospitalized with pneumonia from e-cigarettes

The Georgia Department of Public Health announced Wednesday the state’s first death from a vaping-linked illness.

 

The state agency said the patient was a man over the age of 35 who did not live in metro Atlanta. He had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no history of vaping THC, which has been linked to a majority of the mysterious vaping-related lung diseases afflicting e-cigarette users.

The death is one of nine confirmed cases in Georgia. The nine people were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with “no known infectious cause,” according to the agency.

In Georgia, those sickened range in age from 18 to 68. The median age of the cases is 26; seven are men.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with states to investigate more than 500 cases of vaping-associated illness. There have been at least eight deaths confirmed in seven states.

No specific e-cigarette device or substance has been linked to all of the cases. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid, turning it into vapor for inhaling. They are an increasingly popular alternative to combustible cigarettes.

Doctors are reporting cases of otherwise healthy patients, many in their late teens and 20s, showing up in emergency rooms gasping for breath and vomiting. The CDC said the outbreak does not seem to be caused by an infection but by chemical exposure, possibly a solvent mixed with nicotine or THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

But with the cause of illness still unknown, the CDC is urging people to consider refraining from using e-cigarettes. People who decide to continue vaping should not buy vaping products off the street and they should not modify or add any substances to the products.

Symptoms of vaping-associated illnesses, which worsen over time, include cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The rash of cases has heightened scrutiny of e-cigarettes, even though many health experts consider them less harmful than traditional cigarettes, which release toxins through combustion.

Kevin Burns, the chief executive of Juul, the dominant e-cigarette company in the U.S., stepped down on Wednesday. Juul also announced it is suspending all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the U.S. as it faces mounting investigations, accused of getting teenagers hooked on flavored nicotine pods.

K.C. Crosthwaite, an executive from Altria, the largest U.S. tobacco company and maker of Marlboro cigarettes, replaces Burns. Altria owns a 35% stake in Juul. (Altria is expected to open during the coming weeks a new “heat-not-burn” tobacco product store at Lenox Square in Buckhead, the company’s first store ahead of a national rollout.)

https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/first-death-linked-mysterious-vaping-illness-confirmed-georgia/GdZmSdAdkHXQeDd7R8PxdM/

[niman]

DPH has identified 13 cases of vaping-associated illnes in Georgia, including one death. Other possible cases are being reviewed. All patients were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with no known infectious cause. Cases range in age from 18 to 68 years (median age 26 years), 78% are male.

[niman]

GEORGIA - The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control says two people have died in Georgia related to vaping.

According to the CDC, Georgia’s Department of Public Health has identified 14 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia.

There have been 23 vaping-related deaths nationwide.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/2nd-person-has-died-related-to-vaping-in-georgia/995352408

[niman]

The Georgia Department of Public Health has announced the state’s second death from a vaping-linked illness.

By 

• Helena Oliviero, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

At least 14 cases in state tied to mysterious lung disease

 

No details on the latest death were provided early Wednesday, as the number of people hospitalized continues to climb.

The first person who died in Georgia, announced two weeks ago, was an unidentified man over the age of 35 who did not live in metro Atlanta. He had a history of heavy nicotine vaping but no history of vaping THC, which has been linked to a majority of the mysterious vaping-related lung diseases afflicting e-cigarette users.

The death is one of at least 14 confirmed cases in Georgia. Most patients were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with “no known infectious cause,” according to the agency. They also required respiratory support.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with states to investigate more than 1,000 cases of vaping-associated illness. There have been at 18 deaths confirmed in 15 states.

The CDC said most patients who have come down with the vaping illness reported using products containing THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. About 70% of those sickened are men and most are young; 80% are under 35 years old, according to the CDC. About 16% of the patients are under 18, and 21% of the patients are between the ages of 18 and 20.

No specific e-cigarette device or substance has been linked to all of the cases. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat liquid, turning it into vapor for inhaling. They are an increasingly popular alternative to combustible cigarettes.

Doctors are reporting cases of otherwise healthy patients, many in their late teens and 20s, showing up in emergency rooms gasping for breath and vomiting. The CDC said the outbreak does not seem to be caused by an infection but by chemical exposure, possibly a solvent mixed with nicotine or THC. Investigators are increasingly focused on thickeners and additives found in illegal THC cartridges sold on the black market.

But with the cause of illness still unknown, the CDC is urging people to consider refraining from using e-cigarettes. People who decide to continue vaping should not buy vaping products off the street, and they should not modify or add any substances to the products.

Symptoms of vaping-associated illnesses, which worsen over time, include cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The rash of cases has heightened scrutiny of e-cigarettes, even though many health experts consider them less harmful than traditional cigarettes, which release toxins through combustion.

Students and parents arrive for a educational presentation about vaping and the law at Lakeside High School in Atlanta in September. Curtis Compton/[email protected]

Photo: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Experts who study tobacco policy fear this public health crisis tied to vaping may have unintended consequences, including driving people who vape back to cigarette smoking, which remains the country’s leading preventable cause of death.

Dr. Michael Eriksen, dean of Georgia State University’s School of Public Health, said the epidemic of youth vaping, potential bans on flavors, and the lung disease outbreak have created a perfect storm of confusion around e-cigarettes and their potential to help smokers quit the deadliest of habits.

“This is undermining what we know about vaping and we lose sight of smokers and what this is all about,” he said. “It is not helpful what is going on and it has confused everyone.”

He said it’s important the public realize risky, “illicit marijuana use” is most likely to blame for the outbreak.

Eriksen said public officials and government agencies should take a systematic approach to both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. For example, if policies ban flavors for vaping products, they should also prohibit flavors in traditional tobacco products. If not, ex-smokers could return to smoking deadlier menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars which come in a variety of flavors including chocolate.

Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in April, outlined an ambitious anti-smoking plan which included lowering nicotine in traditional cigarettes two years ago. But the agency has yet to unveil its proposal for cutting nicotine.

https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/georgia-announces-second-vaping-linked-death-state/1PYiEHu1Ac5q4EYiDqjqfO/

Edited October 9, 2019 by niman

[niman]

Severe Lung Disease among People Who Reported Vaping

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is investigating cases of severe lung disease among people who all reported recent vaping. DPH is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other state health departments as part of a national investigation.

• As of (10/8/2019) DPH has identified 14 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 2 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. (case counts will be updated weekly)
• Cases range in age from 18 to 68 years (median age 31 years), 71% are male.
• Cases experienced severe respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath. Cases also reported experiencing fever, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Most cases have been hospitalized and have required respiratory support. 
• Cases have reported vaping a variety of substances, including nicotine, THC and CBD products.
• Clinicians who become aware of cases similar to those described above should report them to the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-282-5846.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with states to investigate more than 1,000 cases of vaping-associated illness. No specific e-cigarette device or substance has been linked to all cases. Most patients have reported a history of using vaping products containing THC. Many patients have reported using THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of e-cigarette products containing only nicotine.

Governor Brian P. Kemp and DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H. urge individuals to follow the CDC recommendation that individuals not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices while this investigation is ongoing. Without knowing the specific cause of the vaping-associated illness, discontinuing use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices is the best prevention against becoming ill.  

E-cigarettes and other vaping devices are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. People who use e-cigarette products should not buy vaping products off the street and should not modify or add any substances to e-cigarette products.

Symptoms of vaping-associated illness, which worsen over time, include cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. People with a history of vaping who are experiencing breathing problems or any of these symptoms should seek medical care.

Georgians who use tobacco and are ready to quit, can contact the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-270-STOP (7867)

For more information about e-cigarettes and vaping: 
CDC e-cigarette general information
CDC vaping associated illness outbreak updates and guidance for clinicians
CDC Health Alert
DPH Press Release: DPH Identifies First Death from Vaping-Associated Illness
DPH Clinical Alert
DPH Health Alert

https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury

[niman]

ATLANTA - Health officials have identified the second death in Georgia from a vaping-related illness. 

According to the Department of Public Health, the unidentified patient had a history of nicotine vaping, but authorities are trying to determine if any other substances may have also been used. 

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-reports-second-vaping-related-death

[niman]

• As of (10/16/2019) DPH has identified 21 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 2 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. 
• Cases range in age from  range in age from 18 to 68 years (the median age is 33 years), and 62% are male.
• Cases experienced severe respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath. Cases also reported experiencing fever, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Most cases have been hospitalized and have required respiratory support. 
• Cases have reported vaping a variety of substances, including nicotine, THC and CBD products.
• Clinicians who become aware of cases similar to those described above should report them to the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-282-5846.

https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury

[niman]

• As of (10/24/2019) DPH has identified 24 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 2 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. 
• Cases range in age from  range in age from 18 to 68 years (the median age is 33 years), and 58% are male.
• Cases experienced severe respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath. Cases also reported experiencing fever, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Most cases have been hospitalized and have required respiratory support. 
• Cases have reported vaping a variety of substances, including nicotine, THC and CBD products.
• Clinicians who become aware of cases similar to those described above should report them to the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-282-5846.

https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury

[niman]

• As of (10/29/2019) DPH has identified 25 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 3 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. 
• Cases range in age from  range in age from 18 to 68 years (the median age is 33 years), and 56% are male.
• Cases experienced severe respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath. Cases also reported experiencing fever, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Most cases have been hospitalized and have required respiratory support. 
• Cases have reported vaping a variety of substances, including nicotine, THC and CBD products.
• Clinicians who become aware of cases similar to those described above should report them to the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-282-5846 https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury

[niman]

The latest vaping death in Georgia involved a person with a history of vaping nicotine for a few years. The state’s health agency didn’t share more details.

 

There have been 25 confirmed cases of the vaping-associated illness in Georgia this year.Most patients were hospitalized and required respiratory support. They have ranged in age from 18 to 68, with a median age of 33. Of those sickened, 56% are men.

Symptoms, which worsen over time, include cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/third-vaping-related-death-georgia-confirmed-total-cases-rise/ftrS8mjDILCGbH1iSjKxJM/amp.html

[niman]

• As of (11/06/2019) DPH has identified 27 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 3 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. 
• Cases range in age from  range in age from 18 to 68 years (the median age is 33 years), and 56% are male.
• https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury

[niman]

• As of (11/13/2019) DPH has identified 29 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, including 3 deaths. Other possible cases are being reviewed. 
• Cases range in age from  range in age from 18 to 68 years (the median age is 33 years), and 59% are male.
• https://dph.georgia.gov/vapinglunginjury