CDC Intensifies Warnings About Vaping Illness As Cases Top 1,000

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intensified its warnings about the risks of vaping, as the number of patients with vaping-related illness continues to climb.
The case count has reached 1,080, the agency announced Thursday. There have been 18 deaths in 15 states, and more deaths are being investigated. All patients reported a history of vaping, and the majority reported using THC-containing products.
"We're worried that there are plenty of risky products still out there," the CDC's principal deputy director, Dr. Anne Schuchat, said during a briefing with reporters. "That's one of the reasons we've intensified our warnings."
The agency is now warning people to avoid use of all vaping products, especially products containing THC. "It is pretty much impossible for you to know what is in the e-cigarette or vaping product that you're getting, particularly THC-containing products bought off the street or bought from social sources," said Schuchat.
This week's total represents an increase of 275 cases over last week. The jump is partially the result of accounting for people who became ill previously, before there was widespread awareness of the epidemic. But the CDC says it continues to get reports of new cases. Among the new cases, about half the patients were hospitalized within the last two weeks.