Louisiana recently saw its first death in relation to the vaping illness that has brought health hazards of vaping into the limelight.

There have reportedly been 30 cases of vaping illness in Louisiana. Patients range from 17 to 71 years of age, with a median age of 29. More recently, the state saw its first death due to the illness – joining 40 other deaths from around the country.

Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards has repeatedly stood behind a flavored e-cigarette ban and reportedly supports raising the e-cigarette purchase age to 21.

“We will take action on it one way or another to limit these e-cigarettes, especially the flavoring in it in the legislative session coming up next year,” Edwards reportedly said during a governor’s debate earlier this year.

Health Hazards of Vaping: E-Cigarette Illness

As of Nov. 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 2,290 e-cigarette vaping associated lung injury (EVALI). The only state to not see a case of vaping illness is Alaska.

Of these thousands of patients struggling with the health hazards of vaping, the CDC has reportedly received 47 reports of deaths across 25 states. Deceased patients reportedly ranged from 17 to 75 years of age with a median age of 53. Other deaths are reportedly under investigation by the CDC.

Authorities have been looking at the sources of the “vape juice” ingredients, while health officials have been looking for the cause of illness and death.

For months, the CDC and other health officials were at a loss for what could be causing the mysterious vaping illness that was sweeping through the country. More recently, the CDC announced a breakthrough after testing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples (fluid samples collected from the lungs).

The samples were reportedly taken from 29 patients with EVALI over 10 states. When the CDC analyzed these samples, they allegedly found that all of the samples contained vitamin E acetate.

The analysis was not easy, however. The race to determine a cause of EVALI has reportedly been filled with challenges such as equipment failure and other problems. In early November, when the CDC finally figured out that the vaping illness may be related to vitamin E acetate, their chemical analysis tool reportedly crashed right as they were about to test the last samples.

“My stomach dropped,” Jim Pirkle, a CDC member who overseeing chemical analysis, told the Washington Post. “Since we have limited volume [of fluid samples], it could mean we weren’t going to be able to analyze them.”   But scientists persevered.

Vape Ingredients

Vitamin E acetate is naturally found in many foods such as vegetable oils, cereals, meat, fruits, and vegetables and can be found in cosmetics and supplements as well. In vaping products, vitamin E acetate is reportedly used as an additive – most notably as a thickening agent for THC vaping products.

Previous research reportedly suggests that vitamin E acetate can interfere with lung functioning when inhaled even though it is safe when ingested or applied to the skin.

The CDC recommends that consumers do not use THC containing vape products, especially if these products come from “informal sources.” This could reportedly help reduce the health hazards of vaping, although the CDC continues to investigate the issue.

As studies continue, the CDC recommendation is that consumers abstain from vaping, and not use e-cigarettes or vaping products.