Kansas Confirms State's First Death Linked To Vaping

WICHITA, Kan. (CBS4/AP) — Kansas health officials have confirmed the first death in the state related to an outbreak of a lung disease linked to vaping. As many as five cases nationwide have ended in death.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in a news release Tuesday the recent death involved a Kansas resident over the age of 50 who had a history of underlying health issues. The unidentified patient was hospitalized with symptoms that progressed rapidly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been 450 possible cases of lung disease related to vaping reported in 33 states -- including two in Colorado. Children and teens vaping is considered an epidemic in Colorado. The state has the highest rates of youth usage in the nation.

(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The agency says no evidence of infectious diseases have been identified, meaning the illnesses are likely associated with chemical exposure. It says no specific substance or product has been linked to all cases, though many cases involve people who reported vaping THC, marijuana's high-inducing chemical.

Health officials said they do not have detailed information on what specific e-cigarette products were used by the deceased patient in Kansas.

The teenager who survived Colorado's first case of a rare vaping-related illness says she will never pick up a vape pen again. Piper Johnson, 18, spoke exclusively with CBS4 just weeks after her vaping habit almost killed her.

Piper Johnson (credit: CBS)

Johnson said she couldn't stop coughing and it hurt to take a deep breath. She ended up in the ICU with what doctors called "sudden and severe lung illness due to vaping." It's so new it doesn't have an official name.

Piper Johnson in the hospital (credit: Piper Johnson)

"I was terrified," Johnson said.

Johnson said she was vaping daily for more than two years. She said she knew cigarettes were bad for consumption. However, she was led to believe vaping was healthier. Johnson said she was vaping through an entire pack of vape-pod liquids each week. She said that was an average amount to vape among her peers.

(credit: Piper Johnson)

"Oh my God. All this stuff I've been doing these past two years that I thought were harmless, have silently been killing me," Johnson told CBS4.

MORE: 'I Was Terrified': Piper Johnson, UNC Student With Lung Illness Talks About Vaping Habit