Around New England

Fourth Vaping Death in Massachusetts Reported

January 9, 2020

Massachusetts recently had its fourth reported case of vaping-associated death, according to the state Department of Public Health.

On Wednesday, January 8, the Department of Public Health reported that a Middlesex County man in his 70s suffered a vaping-associated lung injury which resulted in his death. The man vaped tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, a chemical compound found in marijuana.

This incident is the 36th of a vaping-associated lung injury reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Massachusetts since September 2019.

In all, there have been 341 suspected cases of lung injury from vaping in Massachusetts and 109 were identified as such. Of those, 36 were confirmed cases while 73 cases were deemed “probable” by the state’s health agency.

 “Today’s news is a tragic reminder that we must remain vigilant about the dangers of vaping,” Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said in a written statement. “There are resources available to help people quit and we encourage anyone to use these resources.”

The first reported death came back in November. The state Department of Public Health  announced a Worcester County man in his 50s who used both THC and nicotine vapes died as a result of his vaping.

More than half of the confirmed cases of vaping-related lung injury in Massachusetts came from patients younger than 30.  Among them, 40 percent used only THC, 35 percent only used nicotine and the rest vaped both, according to Boston.com.