Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oregon Hit With 5th Case Of Mystery Vaping Illness

<p>A fifth Oregonian has fallen ill from the mystery vaping illness.&nbsp;</p>

Kristian Foden-Vencil

A fifth Oregonian has fallen ill from the mystery vaping illness. 

The Oregon Health Authority says a fifth person has been struck by a vaping-related illness.

Dr. Richard Lehman could give no other information, like what products the person used.

“We don’t even know at this point that the vaping is the direct cause of this, that’s why we’re doing the investigation. So we’re not putting out specific information about product,” said Lehman.

The Multnomah County Commission also called on the state and federal governments Tuesday to ban the sale of flavored nicotine products.

The commission is urging people to stop vaping and it's asking the OHA to recommend broader vaping prevention efforts.

Nationwide, nine people have died as a result of vaping, including one in Oregon. Four had become sick in Oregon before this latest case, and five in Washington.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 530 cases across the country. Most have a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. Many have reported using both THC and nicotine. And some have reported using only nicotine.

The CDC is recommending people not use e-cigarettes at all while the investigation continues.

Copyright 2019 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Kristian Foden-Vencil is a veteran journalist/producer working for Oregon Public Broadcasting. He started as a cub reporter for newspapers in London, England in 1988. Then in 1991 he moved to Oregon and started freelancing. His work has appeared in publications as varied as The Oregonian, the BBC, the Salem Statesman Journal, Willamette Week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, NPR and the Voice of America. Kristian has won awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. He was embedded with the Oregon National Guard in Iraq in 2004 and now specializes in business, law, health and politics.