Massachusetts reports 3rd vaping-related death as number climbs nationwide

BOSTON - Massachusetts health officials announced the state’s third death related to a vaping-associated lung injury on Wednesday, adding to the reported number of deaths nationwide.

The patient, a man in his 50s from Worcester County, reported vaping both nicotine and THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana, health officials said.

Officials said more than 200 suspected cases of vaping-associated lung injury have been reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health since September. Last month, the agency reported the first two deaths in the state — a woman in her 40s from Middlesex County and a woman in her 60s from Hampshire County.

Federal health officials have tallied nearly 1,900 cases of vaping-related lung illness nationwide, including nearly 40 deaths.

A vapor cloud produced by a man with an e-cigarette is show in a file image. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)

No single ingredient, electronic cigarette or vaping device has been linked to all the illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most who got sick said they vaped products containing THC.

Health officials have urged people to avoid vaping, particularly products containing THC and purchased off the street.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker issued an emergency ban on vaping products in September in response to the lung illnesses.

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This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.