‘Town Crier’ – Briefs From the Region (2) – 9/24/19

First vaping illness confirmed in Montana

It’s a national health crisis: e-cigarettes of various kinds and substances have claimed the lives of eight, and with 58 percent of U.S. high school students saying they’ve used electronic vapor products at least once and 30 percent saying they have in the past month, according to a 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, parents and health officials across the country are worried about America’s youth. Nationally, more than 500 confirmed cases have been reported, according to Montana Public Radio, consisting primarily of males between the ages of 18 and 34. On Sept. 20, state health officials confirmed a Montana man in his 30s joined this list, reporting severe health disease as a likely result of his history with vaping products. State health officials are looking into a number of additional pulmonary disease cases around Montana that might show similar connection to vaping.