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Lung Injury Associated with E-Cigarette Use or Vaping
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is working with clinical and public health partners in Maine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others to investigate an outbreak of lung injury associated with use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
What we know
Updated January 2, 2020
In Maine
- Nine cases of lung illness related to e-cigarette products have been reported by the Maine CDC; six of these cases were hospitalized.
- The cases involve six adults and three people younger than 21 years old.
- Most of the cases were residents of Cumberland and York counties; Aroostook, Franklin and Somerset counties have seen one case each.
- No deaths from this illness have been reported in Maine.
- Maine CDC and the Maine Office of the Attorney General is increasing compliance checks on e-cigarette purchases at retailers throughout Maine to prevent sales to youth.
- All patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
- We do know that THC is present in most of the samples tested by FDA to date, and most patients report a history of using THC-containing products.
- As such, we recommend that you should not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC.
- Because the specific cause or causes of lung injury are not yet known, the only way to assure that you are not at risk while the investigation continues is to consider refraining from use of all e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
- The use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, products is unsafe for all ages, including youth and young adults. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.
Learn More
For the public:
- US CDC - Severe Lung Disease
- US CDC General information - Severe Lung Disease
- The Maine ENDS Toolkit (PDF)
For health care providers
- Maine CDC e-Cigarette/Lung Injury Webinar
- Severe Lung Disease
- Maine CDC e-Cigarette/Lung Injury Update Webinar
Maine News Releases
- Maine Reports Four Additional Cases of Lung Illness Related to E-cigarette Products – 10/3/2019
- Maine reports a case of lung illness related to e-cigarette use – 9/20/2019
- Maine responds to a national outbreak of e-cigarette-related illness – 9/18/2019
- Maine CDC Promotes Awareness of Law to Prevent Vaping in Schools – 8/27/2019
Maine CDC Health Alert Network System (HAN)
- Vaping-associated Pulmonary Illness - Reporting Now Required – 10/3/2019 - Vaping Advisory (PDF) | Disease Reporting Form
- Maine Reports a Case of Lung Illness Related to E-Cigarette Use (PDF) – 9/20/2019
- Severe Pulmonary Disease Associated with Using E-Cigarette Products (PDF) – 8/30/2019
- Vaping-associated Pulmonary Illness - Call for Cases (PDF) – 8/21/2019
Across the Country
Regular updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appear below:
