Indiana reports its first vaping-related death, bringing the national death toll to three

Indiana health officials on Friday confirmed the state’s first death from a vaping-related respiratory illness, bringing the national toll to three, after two such deaths in Illinois and in Oregon.

The person who died in Indiana was an adult, but officials gave no other details, citing privacy laws. There’s also no indication of what the person may have been vaping.

“The tragic loss of a Hoosier and rising number of vaping-related injuries are warnings that we cannot ignore,” Dr. Kris Box, Indiana’s health commissioner, said in a statement.

The number of severe respiratory illnesses related to vaping either nicotine or marijuana has soared in recent weeks.

As of Friday, at least 432 cases were either confirmed or under investigation in 27 states.

Physicians urge anyone who vapes to seek medical care if they experience shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, cough, vomiting or diarrhea.

Neither federal nor state health investigators have been able to pinpoint a single cause of the illnesses, but many suspect oils in vapes may play a role.

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