Death Of Marin County Woman Believed To Be Due To Vaping​

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A Marin County woman has died from complications related to the use of e-cigarettes, county officials said Wednesday.

The victim, whose name was not released, was a previously healthy woman in her 40s who started vaping six months ago.

"With sadness, we report that there has been a death in our community suspected to be caused by severe lung injury associated with vaping," Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said in a statement.

Marin County public health officials are working with the California Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to obtain test samples to determine the specific products that may have contributed to the death.

This is the fourth vaping-associated death in California since July.

The CDC last week reported 39 deaths across the country and more than 2,000 suspected cases in the national epidemic of lung damage associated with e-cigarettes.

Marin County Public Health issued a warning in September recommending that residents cease e-cigarette use and vaping until the cause of the outbreak is known. Many Marin County cities and towns banned the sale of flavored tobacco beginning in January 2020.

"The message is simple: It's not safe to vape," Willis said. "Until we have a better understanding of the cause of this outbreak, it's best to avoid these products entirely."

Previous coverage: Vaping Illnesses, Death Prompt Marin County Health Alert

The specific products or compounds that cause lung injury after e-cigarette use are not known, but the CDC said Vitamin E acetate is a likely contributor in some cases.

Oil-based vitamin E is sometimes added to vaping liquids, especially those containing the psychoactive cannabis compound THC, but many confirmed cases of lung injury have not been tied to THC, county officials said.

There are several thousand formulations of vaping liquids and many have not been tested for safety, according to the county.

Symptoms of e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury, known as EVALI, include shortness of breath, coughing or chest pain often accompanied by nausea, fever, vomiting or diarrhea. People with the symptoms who previously used e-cigarettes should seek prompt medical attention.

"Like smoking, we recognize that quitting vaping can be challenging," Willis said. "We want to help support people as they quit vaping and there are several resources available to help people overcome a vaping addiction."

Vape users can get help quitting by calling 844-8-NO-VAPE.

Bay City News Service and Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.