All states except Alaska have reported people with mysterious vaping illness

Photo: Eva Hambach/AFP/Getty Images

There are 1,299 confirmed and probable cases of lung injury in 49 states and 26 deaths associated with e-cigarette use, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

The big picture: Not much progress has been made in uncovering the specific cause of these respiratory illnesses, though officials from the CDC say that THC vape products have been linked to a majority of patients with vaping-related lung injuries. Neither the CDC nor FDA believe the number of cases has peaked.

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• As of last week, there were over 1,000 cases in 46 states and 1 territory.
• The CDC's investigation still has not identified any specific e-cigarette or vaping product or substance linked to all cases.

By the numbers, based on information from 573 patients:

• About 76% reported using THC-containing products, with or without nicotine-containing products; 32% reported exclusive use of THC-containing products.
• About 70% of patients are male, about 80% of the patients are under 35 years old and 15% are under 18 years old.

The impact: In September, Juul’s CEO resigned, as the company announced it would suspend all broadcast, print and digital advertising of its products in the U.S.

Meanwhile, individual states are cracking down on vaping products with a variety of proposals and bans. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a statewide public health emergency last month and called for a 4-month ban on all vaping products, the harshest measure in the country so far.

• Los Angeles County also banned the sale of flavored tobacco products last week.
• The U.S. Army is also treating 2 active-duty soldiers in its medical facilities for vaping-related lung illness. Most of the military banned e-cigarette sales at base exchanges, the Wall Street Journal reports.
• Schools across the country are also going after Juul with lawsuits, alleging the manufacturer put a major burden on institutions for wooing kids to vape their products, NPR reports. Juul has not been connected to the illnesses but owns a large portion of the e-cigarette marketshare.