GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services on Friday said it has identified one new case of vaping-related lung illness.
The new case involves an individual in their 20s from Cascade County who was hospitalized in January with a history of vaping, according to the health department. The patient is recovering and has not been identified.
Montana now has eight identified cases of EVALI, including one death.
The federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says that laboratory data shows that vitamin E acetate, an additive in some THC-containing e-cigarette or vaping products, is "strongly linked" to the outbreak of e-cigarette/vaping product use-associated lung injury, known as EVALI.
The CDC says that vitamin E acetate is used as an additive, notably in THC-containing e-cigarette or vaping products. Vitamin E acetate usually does not cause harm when ingested as a vitamin supplement or applied to the skin. However, previous research suggests that when vitamin E acetate is inhaled, it may interfere with normal lung functioning.
Montana health officials did not indicate whether this most recent case involved the use of vaping products containing vitamin E acetate.
Head over to the CDC website for more information on vaping related diseases.
