EPIDEMIC

15-Year-Old Dies From Vaping-Related Lung Illness in Texas

The teenager is the youngest person to die from the vaping-related illness.

A 15-year-old has died from a vaping-related lung illness, becoming the youngest person to die from the outbreak, according to health officials. Dallas County Health and Human Services reported the teenager also had an unspecified “chronic underlying medical condition” in a statement. “Reporting a death in a teen due to Evali is so tragic,” Dallas County health director Dr. Philip Huang was quoted as saying in the statement, referring to the official name of the disorder, E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury. “We are seeing that severe lung damage, and even death, can occur with just short-term use of these products.” There have been 2,602 cases of the illness and 57 deaths as of Tuesday across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said that cases of lung illness and deaths have slowed since peaking in September, but states are still reporting new cases every week, and more deaths are being investigated.