Officials identify possible culprit behind vaping illnesses 

In a breakthrough, health officials late last week announced they had identified vitamin E acetate as a possible cause for the recent spate of vaping-related lung injuries. The chemical, an additive or thickening agent in some vaping products, showed up in every sample of lung fluid that was taken from 29 patients with such illnesses — now officially called EVALI. Officials also said the new finding needs to be confirmed, including in animal studies, and that other causes could still be at play. It’s also unclear how widespread the use of vitamin E acetate is in manufacturing e-cigarettes and other vaping products. As of last week, there have been 2,051 cases of EVALI across 49 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with 40 deaths.