Vaping illnesses in US still rising, though at slower pace

In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 2,172 confirmed and probable vaping-related illnesses have been reported. Cases have occurred in every state but Alaska. Forty-two people in 24 states have died. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) (Tony Dejak, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NEW YORK, NY – The number of vaping illnesses in the U.S. is still rising, but at a slower pace.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said another 121 cases have been reported, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 2,172. Forty-two people have died.

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The outbreak appears to have started in March and peaked in late summer but there is often a lag in reporting. Of the latest cases, the CDC says less than half are people hospitalized with lung damage in the last three weeks.

Most of the people who got sick said they vaped products containing THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana. Officials believe a thickening agent used in black market THC vaping products appears to be a culprit.