State health department confirms first vaping-related death in Georgia

GEORGIA — Channel 2 Action News has learned the Georgia Department of Public Health on Wednesday confirmed the first vaping-related death in Georgia.

The department said "the victim is older" and is someone who did not live in metro Atlanta. The patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no history of vaping THC.

In late August, the department said it was investigating possible cases of severe respiratory illness in individuals who reported vaping.

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Nationwide, nearly 200 respiratory illness cases are linked to vaping.

The department released a statement that reads in part:

The patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no reported history of vaping THC. DPH has identified nine cases, including the death, of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, and other possible cases are being reviewed. All patients were hospitalized and developed pneumonia with no known infectious cause. Cases range in age from 18 to 68 years.

Cox Media Group