Vaping gets political in Mississippi as the cases climb; another death announced in Kansas today

The vaping health issue took a partisan turn in Mississippi as the number of severe lung illness related to e-cigarettes and vaping in the state rose to three cases.

“This is a very serious concern, and one that is unfolding every day,” Paul Byers, Mississippi State Department of Health State Epidemiologist, said Monday in a statement. “While we know that many of the cases in the U.S. report vaping cannabis products, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), some have reported only vaping nicotine products.”

The specific cause of these lung injuries remains unknown. MSDH officials say that the three ill people range in age from 28 to 33 years old.

No deaths from the illness have been confirmed in the state; however, one death is under investigation.

“There is still a lot that we don’t know about what is making these people sick,” Byers said. “No specific product such as the device, liquid, refill pods or cartridge has been clearly identified as the cause.”

The vaping scare entered Mississippi’s political arena last week when Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democratic candidate for governor, called for a state-wide ban on vaping products. He also accused his opponent, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, of blocking bills to regulate them.

Hood introduced two bills in the state legislature during the last session, and both died in committee. He suggested the $130,000 in campaign contributions Reeves received from companies that manufacture electronic cigarettes kept him from prioritizing the bills. Reeves is president of the Senate and holds considerable power over what legislation moves forward.

Reeves has denied the accusations. Speaking with The Clarion Ledger, Reeves’ spokesman, Parker Briden, called the accusations “conspiracy theories and partisan blame games”

Nationally, the confirmed death rate as of Sept. 19 is seven, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Confirmed reports of lung illness stand at 530 cases in 38 states and the Virgin Islands territory.

“We believe that probably hundreds more (cases) have come in since the numbers we released last week,” said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a congressional hearing today.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced the second vaping-related death in her state today, bringing the death toll to eight, and indications are that it will rise to at least nine when the CDC updates its statistics Thursday.

For patients, the symptoms include:

• cough, shortness of breath or chest pain
• nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• fatigue, fever or abdominal pain

If you have recently used an e-cigarette or vaping product and you experience similar symptoms, see a doctor.