Seventh vaping-related death confirmed in Northern California

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Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Unsafe levels of a cancer-causing compound found in 2 popular flavors of e-cigarettes
Unsafe levels of a cancer-causing compound found in 2 popular flavors of e-cigarettes: Sarah Bloomquist reports during Action News at 5pm on September 17, 2019.

A northern California person has become the 7th person believed to have died from complications of e-cigarette use.

It's the first vaping-related death in California.

Health officials say the victim was over 40 and had other health problems.

There's no word whether that person had been vaping THC, the hallucinogenic component in marijuana.

The news comes as Duke University says it's found unsafe levels of a cancer-causing compound called pulegone in 2 popular flavors of e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

The chemical, which has been banned as a food additive by the FDA, was in mint and menthol liquids, as well as mint-flavored smokeless tobacco.

The government is moving to ban all flavors, but the vaping industry wants regulators to leave mint and menthol - the best-selling flavors - alone.