CDC Urges People to Stop Vaping After Fifth Death, Spread of Severe Lung Illness

The Centers for Disease Control is advising people to stop vaping following a fifth death linked to the smoking alternative. The CDC is reportedly investigating 450 severe lung illness cases reported nationwide. Three additional deaths were confirmed in Indiana, Minnesota and California, after two were previously reported in Illinois and Oregon.

Hours before the announcement of the three additional deaths, the organization held a briefing on the rise of severe lung illnesses connected to e-cigarettes. They revealed the number of reported cases had more than doubled in the last week to 450, from the originally reported number just over 200.

PEOPLE reported the CDC urged Americans to stop using e-cigarettes while it teams up with the Food and Drug Administration and state officials to look into the respiratory problems that have been reported in 33 states.

"While this investigation is ongoing, people should consider not using e-cigarette products," Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, incident manager of the CDC's response to the vaping-related lung injuries, told the outlet. "People who do use e-cigarette products should monitor themselves for symptoms, for example, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea and vomiting — and promptly seek medical attention for any health concerns."

Health officials have stated in the past they are not sure what exactly about e-cigarettes is causing an increase in respiratory problems among younger people. The CDC reported most of the 450 cases involved young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who initially believe they had a pneumonia-like infection that turned out to be a pulmonary illness.

The organization is not sure what chemical or substance the cases have in common, as some patients used e-cigarettes with only nicotine, while others used marijuana-based materials.

"We are getting a clearer focus.. and the investigation is narrowing," Ileana Arias, the acting deputy director for noninfectious diseases at CDC, told the publication. Meany-Delman said they believe the lung illnesses are likely "associated with a chemical exposure."

The new reports come just a few weeks after San Francisco became the first major city in the United States to outlaw the sale of Juuls, along with other e-cigarettes and vapes. Nicotine vaporizers were initially created as a method to quit smoking, though more and more questions about their effectiveness and their own health effects have been raised.

"Middle school and high school students are becoming addicted to nicotine because of e-cigarettes, so we want to do everything we can to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of young people until the FDA conducts the appropriate clinical trials and finds out how these should be marketed. We need to make sure we protect young people," city supervisor Shamann Walton told CBS MoneyWatch back in June.