NY reports new deaths connected to vaping
David Robinson / Gannett New York
Health officials on Friday confirmed two more deaths in New York due to vaping-related illness, bringing the total to four.
A woman in her twenties from New York City and a woman in her fifties from Ontario County died related to vaping, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
It was unclear if the cases involved vaping nicotine, marijuana or both.
"These deaths are tragic — and they are also preventable," Cuomo said Friday in a statement. "We know smoking and nicotine are dangerous, and it's becoming tragically clearer by the day that vaping is too."
The state Department of Health is investigating the two latest deaths, which are part of 230 vaping-related illnesses reported in New York as of Friday.
Previously a 17-year-old boy from the Bronx and a Manhattan man in his thirties died from vaping-related illnesses.
Mary Beer, the public health director in Ontario County, said she knew little about the local case, saying the woman died in Monroe County. She referred calls to the state.
Cuomo said health officials and the state-run Wadsworth Center Laboratory are doing "groundbreaking work getting to the bottom of this unacceptable situation and we will continue using every tool at our disposal until these illnesses and deaths stop."
The state Department of Health declined to comment on the two new deaths, citing the ongoing investigation.
"Due to patient privacy, we cannot release any further details," said Jill Montag, an agency spokeswoman.
Many of the lung injuries have been linked to a vitamin E acetate additive used in marijuana vaping products, but health officials have warned the public to avoid using all vape products during the investigation.
"In the meantime our message on vaping remains unchanged: if you don't know what you're smoking, don't smoke it," Cuomo said Friday.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE VAPING-ILLNESS INVESTIGATION
Nationally, vaping has been linked to 57 deaths and lung illness among more than 2,600 people since an outbreak began last spring.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation began with no distinction between nicotine and marijuana-based THC. It grew to emphasize black market, street-sold THC cartridges and now includes legally purchased products containing THC, the ingredient in marijuana that creates a high and is vaped in oil.
CDC investigators have found 131 vaping-related illnesses in Illinois, Wisconsin and Utah were connected to legally purchased marijuana products, according to data released this month. At least eight states have reported lung illnesses linked to legal THC cartridges, USA TODAY reported.
New York allows medical marijuana and is currently considering legalizing recreational marijuana. It has not reported any of its 230 lung illnesses were linked to medical marijuana legally purchased in New York.
Of the vaping-related illnesses in New York, patients have ranged in age from 14 to 71 years old but a majority were under 25, health officials said in November.
Some counties have seen more vaping lung injuries than others. Monroe, for instance had between 10 and 19 cases, the highest county-level tally outside New York City as of Jan. 7, state data show. New York City had more than 30 cases spread across each of the boroughs.
Anyone using vape products and experiencing symptoms including shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, fever, nausea or vomiting should contact their health care provider immediately, state health officials said.
Health care providers should report possible cases to their local poison control center (1-800-222-1222).
WHY NY VAPING RELATED DEATHS AFFECT E-CIGARETTE FLAVOR BANS
News of the vaping deaths comes after a judge struck down New York's emergency ban on flavored e-cigarettes, in part ruling that Cuomo and health officials exceeded their authority in an attempt to curb the teen vaping crisis.
The court battle prompted some state lawmakers to renew the push for legislation that would outlaw flavors in vaping and tobacco products. The effort is part of the 2020 Legislature session currently underway.
Pro-vaping groups are fighting the flavor bans, citing connections between vaping related deaths and marijuana use. They also asserted banning flavors in e-cigarettes would harm adults who are trying to use vaping to quit smoking traditional combustible cigarettes.
Further, federal regulators this month banned fruit- and mint-flavored products used in e-cigarettes and vaping products while allowing vape shops to sell flavors from tank-based systems.
The flavoring ban does not apply to menthol and tobacco-flavored products.
Vaping shops won a concession that will temporarily allow them to sell flavors in stores from tank-based systems, which allow people to mix their own nicotine and vaping juice.