KTLA

Vaping-Related Death Reported in Central Valley

In this photo illustration, a man smokes an e-cigarette at a shop in London on Aug. 27, 2014. (Credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images)

An adult older than 40 from Tulare County has died from complications related to using an electronic cigarette, health officials confirmed Monday evening.

“With sadness, we report that there has been a death of a Tulare County resident suspected to be related to severe pulmonary injury associated with vaping,” Dr. Karen Haught, Tulare County public health officer, said in a statement.

“The Tulare County Public Health Branch would like to warn all residents that any use of e-cigarettes poses a possible risk to the health of the lungs and can potentially cause severe lung injury that may even lead to death,” Haught said. “Long-term effects of vaping on health are unknown. Anyone considering vaping should be aware of the serious potential risk associated with vaping.”

A doctor had been treating the person, who had a history of vaping, for the last several weeks for a pulmonary respiratory illness, said Tammie Weyker-Adkins, a public information officer at Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency. The person had other “complicating health issues” but was being treated for the vaping-related illness, she said.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.