Canadian Teen Dies After Fainting While Vaping Nicotine, Parents Want Answers

A teenager in Canada described by some as a baseball prodigy was reportedly vaping nicotine before he feinted, struck his head, and eventually died.

The 14-year-old, identified in news reports as Kyle Losse of Delta, BC, Canada, was reportedly at home with his parents on January 21, 2018 when he suddenly feinted in the bathroom. His parents, who were in another room at the time of the incident, reportedly heard a loud crashing sound coming from his bathroom and when they entered, they found their son laying on the floor next to a vape.

The boy’s stepmother Niki Losse, who was in the home at the time of the incident, indicated that the hospital at which he was treated, Delta Hospital, tested the liquid found in the vape for all major drugs and the results came back negative as it contained only nicotine.

Tasleem Juma with Fraser Health was quoted by the Times Colonist as having said that the hospital “performed both toxicological and neurological tests and kept the patient for an extended observation period to which he started to improve” and that he was “neurologically stable” before they discharged him from the hospital the following day.

“We performed both toxicological and neurological tests and kept the patient for an extended observation period to which he started to improve (…) The patient was neurologically stable when he was discharged with no indication of any outstanding issues.”

Kyle was released and his parent were reportedly told that he needed to rest at home for a couple of days before returning to the hospital for further blood work, the Vancouver Courier reported.

Just seven hours after he was released from the hospital, he found himself once again en route to the hospital. This time, B.C. Children’s Hospital, to which he was transported via ambulance. Once there, he was placed on life support and died the following day at 2:22 p.m.

While the teen’s cause of death is not currently known, the boy’s parents want answers. One question that is almost certainly on some people’s minds is whether or not vaping nicotine played a role in the teen’s untimely death.

The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating the teen’s death.