California Health Department Urges Everyone To Stop Vaping

Sacramento, CA — Citing a spike in the number of hospital stays and deaths related to vaping, the California Department of Public Health is urging all residents to stop, at least for the time being.

State officials are investigating why 90 people in California with a history of vaping have recently been hospitalized for severe breathing problems and lung damage, and two of those people have died. Nationwide, there have been over 500 similar cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We are seeing something that we have not seen before,” said Dr. Charity Dean, Acting State Public Health Officer. “There are numerous unknown factors at this time, and due to the uncertainty of the exact cause, it is our recommendation that consumers refrain from vaping until the investigation has concluded.”

The recommendation includes all marijuana and tobacco vaping products. The state has not yet identified a common ingredient or type of e-cigarette that has led to the hospitalizations.

The alert from the state’s health department comes after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last week to increase education and awareness related to youth vaping.