First NY Vaping Fatality Is Bronx Teenager, Governor Says

THE BRONX, NY — A teenager from The Bronx became the first New Yorker to die from vaping last week, state officials said Tuesday. The 17-year-old boy treated at Montefiore Hospital is among nearly two dozen people across the nation whose deaths have been linked to the use of electronic cigarettes, officials said.

"Parents have to know, young people have to know: You are playing with your life when you play with this stuff," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at an unrelated news conference at his Manhattan office.

The boy was first treated for a "vaping-associated respiratory illness" early last month and was hospitalized again in late September before his Oct. 4 death, according to the Democratic governor's office.

The teen's death was reported Tuesday to the state Department of Health, which is investigating the case, officials said.

The health department is exploring whether the teen used a nicotine e-cigarette or a black-market marijuana vape device like the ones that have been linked to dozens of lung illnesses across New York, agency spokesperson Jill Montag said.

The boy may be the 20th person in the United States to die from a vaping-related illness amid an outbreak of lung ailments linked to the habit.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 18 vaping deaths in 15 states as of Oct. 1, and another was reported in Massachusetts on Monday.

Some 110 people across the Empire State — including 21 in New York City — have come down with serious lung illnesses after using at least one vape product, according to the state health department. Officials have attributed most of those cases to black-market cannabis vape devices rather than nicotine-based e-cigarettes sold in stores.

The spate of sicknesses nonetheless spurred state authorities to ban flavored e-cigarettes, but a pending lawsuit blocked the measure from taking effect last week.

Cuomo called for action from President Donald Trump's administration to combat the health risks of vaping. Trump's Food and Drug Administration announced plans in September to clear flavored vaping products from the market, but the nationwide ban is not yet in place.

"The president had talked about taking action," Cuomo said. "I don’t know how many people have to die before he takes action, but the state is already taking aggressive action."