SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities say a central California resident has died from complications related to the use of e-cigarettes.
The announcement Monday by the Tulare County Public Health Office came hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to spend $20 million on raising awareness about the dangers of vaping nicotine and cannabis. Newsom says he doesn't have the executive authority to ban flavored e-cigarettes. But he wants state lawmakers to send him a bill to do so next year. An effort to ban flavored e-cigarettes failed earlier this year.
The Fresno Bee reports the Tulare County resident died of severe pulmonary injury associated with vaping. Officials didn't release the person's name and age.
Hundreds of people nationwide have come down with lung illness related to vaping.
Following, Gov. Newsom's announcement, one of the most prominent e-cigarette companies Juul Labs said it agrees that there is a need to crack down on counterfeit and knockoff vaping products.
Juul spokesman Ted Kwong says the company has taken aggressive actions to combat youth vaping. But just last week an Illinois teenager sued the company arguing it deliberately markets to young people.
Josh Drayton of the California Cannabis Industry Association says the regulated cannabis industry wants to see the nicotine industry follow the same rigorous standards that it does.
In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday announced efforts to outlaw the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. In neighboring New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has created a task force to come up with recommendations for addressing health issues from vaping.
