The Utah Department of Health announced their findings to date of the investigation into vaping-related lung injury in the state. As of Monday, September 30th, 71 cases of vaping-related lung injury have been reported and 10 additional cases are under review. Given the evidence, the Department of Health has announced that “vaping THC cartridges or ‘carts’ are the likely driver of the outbreak of severe lung injury and as such the Department of Health is recommending that people do not vape THC cartridges until more is known. 82 percent of Utah cases are men while women account for 18 percent. The median age of the 71 confirmed cases is 26 years-old with 14 years-old being the youngest and 66 years-old being the oldest. The national average age is 23-years-old. TriCounty Health has confirmed that vaping is a problem in the Uintah Basin, with about 13.5 percent of youth currently using. Symptoms of the lung illness include a cough, shortness of breath or chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, or abdominal pain. TriCounty Health recommends anyone that vapes and is experiencing any of these symptoms, to please seek medical attention.
