Vaping Death in Belgium

An 18-year-old has become the first person to die of vaping in Belgium after authorities blamed his respiratory failure on e-cigarette use, according to a report in The Brussels Times.

The vaper, who lived in Brussels, died on Nov. 6 after using a device with cannabidiol (CBD), a popular and legal hemp component with mild soothing properties that is also sold on the black market mixed with illicit and dangerous products.

“The link with the electronic cigarette is established,” said Health Minister Maggie De Block when questioned in Belgian parliament. “There is no other explanation for such severe pneumonia in this patient.”

The case follows an outbreak of vaping-related hospitalizations and deaths in the United States that have been mostly blamed on vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent in vaping oil.