Death-related death: an electronic cigarette-related lung disease in Oregon, officials say

Salem, Oregon – Oregon health officials said they were investigating the death of someone who had had severe respiratory illness after using an electronic cigarette. Investigators from the Public Health Division of the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division said they were informed that the deceased in July had recently used a vape device containing cannabis purchased from an Oregon store.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported examining 215 possible cases in 25 states. All cases involve adolescents or adults who have used electronic cigarettes or other vaping devices. Coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting are the symptoms of the disease.

The Oregon Health Authority did not specify the age or sex of the deceased, reported KOIN, a CBS affiliate.

Ann Thomas, a public health physician, says investigators do not know yet whether the disease is caused by contaminants, ingredients in the liquid or something like the device. Last week, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people who abuse vape consider avoiding e-cigarettes during their investigations.

Death occurs less than two weeks after health officials in Illinois announced the death of a patient who had contracted a serious lung disease after being vaporized. may have marked the first death in the United States related to the alternative of smoking.

Sick people experienced symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing, and chest pain.

Last week, an 18-year-old told CBS News that his lung collapsed after vaping. Chance Ammirata, who has never been a traditional smoker, said that he had started using Juul electronic cigarettes a year and a half ago, at the age of 16. He now thinks that Juuls was injured in the lungs.

In an exclusive interview with Tony Dokoupil of "CBS This Morning", Juul CEO Kevin Burns stated that the company had never intended that Juul be used by children or teenagers.

"As a parent of a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old, I do not want my kids to use the product, it's not for them," he said.