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Kansas health officials have confirmed the first death in the state related to an outbreak of a lung disease linked to vaping. 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. (9/10)

As cases of the mysterious illness have begun to arise in Kansas, officials have sounded increasingly alarmed about e-cigarettes and vaping. Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement that officials are working to determine a cause. She urged people to be careful. “Don’t put yourself in harm’s way, and please follow the recommendations of public health officials,” the governor said. (Shorman, 9/10)

"It is time to stop vaping," Kansas State Health Officer Dr. Lee Norman Norman said in a statement. "If you or a loved one is vaping, please stop." U.S. public health officials are investigating 450 cases of vaping-related lung illness across 33 states and one U.S. territory. The nationwide investigation led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not linked the illnesses to any specific e-cigarette product. (Lavietes, 9/10)

More than 450 people have fallen ill across 33 states, and officials are focusing on possible contaminants and counterfeit products. New York health officials said they’re focusing their investigation on vitamin E acetate after they found high levels of it in nearly all of the cannabis-containing vapes tested. (Weixel, 9/10)

The Kansas death is at least the fourth reported in a middle aged or older person. Minnesota and Los Angeles county officials also reported deaths in older persons last week. The Minnesota patient was over 65 years old and died in August after a long and complicated hospitalization. (Sun, 9/10)

The first death from lung illness linked to vaping in the United States was reported in Illinois in August. The person who died was an adult. Oregon saw the second death in the nationwide outbreak, then Minnesota and Indiana. The fifth death, reported Friday, was in California. (Howard, 9/10)

The California Department of Public Health on Tuesday said it has identified 62 potential cases since late June of acute lung disease in people with a recent history of vaping. Some cases involve people who vaped using unlicensed or unregulated cannabis products. (Siegel, 9/10)

Health officials think that the majority of cases have occurred within the past several months. It is possible the condition has occurred before and is only now being recognized as related to vaping, but many investigators believe it is likely caused by something new, such as an additive or toxin in the products or devices. (Abbott, 9/11)

Anti-tobacco lawmakers and children’s health advocates are using the moment to demand more regulation of e-cigarettes, including industry powerhouse Juul. They want to go further than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bill, which would raise the age for buying all tobacco to 21. And they want consistent national standards, not a state-by-state patchwork as some areas of the country plow ahead on flavor bans. (Owermohle and Roubein, 9/10)

One in 15 middle-school students in New York City public schools report having recently used an e-cigarette, according to a new report released Tuesday by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The report also shows nearly 15% of middle-school students reported having tried e-cigarettes, including one in five eighth-grade students. (West and Vielkind, 9/10)

A look at what we know so far about the outbreak as the investigation continues. (Johnson, 9/10)

Federal health authorities should strongly consider recalling e-cigarettes in the wake of a vaping-linked illness that’s killed at least six people and sickened hundreds, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said. In a letter sent Wednesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Romney expressed concern that experts don’t know what’s been causing people to become ill — aside from e-cigarettes. (Weixel, 9/11)

As the number of Ohioans who have suffered lung illness from e-cigarettes continues to rise, the Ohio Department of Health said it will target youth and parents with $4 million in new initiatives to prevent and reduce vaping. The Department of Health on Tuesday released the latest numbers of people who have suffered from severe pulmonary illness after vaping: 10 cases have been confirmed as being likely due to e-cigarettes. (Hancock, 9/10)

The Ohio Department of Health said Tuesday that it is spending $4.1 million over two years to increase education about e-cigarettes and provide communities with resources to help curb their use. The department also reported that 10 recent cases of severe lung illnesses in the state, including two in Franklin County, are likely due to vaping, with 14 additional cases being investigated as part of a nationwide outbreak. (Viviano, 9/10)

It’s been a bad week for Juul — which faces a growing health scare and federal accusations of false advertising to minors. But as of today, the San Francisco-based e-cigarette giant can rest assured that Sacramento legislators will not be adding to their woes anytime soon. Assemblyman Adam Gray, a moderate Democrat from Merced, announced that he was tabling his bill that would have placed new regulations on vendors of e-cigs and vape pens. His goal, he said, is to make the legislation stronger before bringing it back next year. (Christopher, 9/10)

A Wisconsin man is accused of manufacturing thousands of counterfeit vaping cartridges a day with THC oil for almost two years, running the operation with 10 employees, authorities said. Kenosha County prosecutors said the 20-year-old had employees make cartridges that were packaged to look professionally done. Authorities said the employees filled about 3,000 to 5,000 cartridges per day and were sold for $16 each. (9/10)