Woman Claims She Nearly Died After Vaping 'Fried Her Lungs Like Hot Chicken'

In recent years, vaping has increasingly replaced cigarettes. Even though vaping is believed to be less harmful than combustible cigarettes, it can still damage the lungs. Often people are lulled into a false sense of safety by thinking that inhaling flavour-laced nicotine is safe. Recently, a woman from Tennessee in the USA, claimed that she nearly died because of her incessant vaping. The mother of two told Kennedy News that she picked up vaping early in the COVID-19 pandemic and soon developed a habit. She was vaping “every hour of the day”, which “fried her lungs like hot chicken”.

About a month ago, she was at her receptionist job, when she heard a “popping” sound in her lungs. Roth soon developed a high fever, which forced her to go to emergency care. Her x-rays showed that her lungs were so damaged by vaping that they resembled someone in their 80s or a “decades-long” speaker.

Her doctor explained that she had developed pneumonia. He asked Roth whether she smokes or vapes. When she said yes, the doctor told her that if she kept vaping she would “die pretty much”. The 30-year-old added, “He (the doctor) took my vape out of my purse and threw it in the trash can.”

Before being forced to seek emergency care, Roth had complained of chest pain. When she went to the doctor, it was initially suspected that she might have bronchitis. She was given flu medicines which did not improve her condition. Roth said that she was not aware that vaping could cause this much harm. Luckily for her, the damage was still reversible.

Roth said, “The doctor said if I stop vaping, my lungs’ will be able to heal as long as I don’t vape anymore. I still get cravings for the vape, but I chew a lot of gum and that helps. Overall, I feel a lot healthier, and I’m saving money now too because I’m not buying a vape every week.” She also emphasised that vaping may seem like a casual activity but it can build into nicotine addiction.

According to a 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, almost 18 per cent of US adults, between the ages 18–24, have a high prevalence of e-cigarette use, including vaping. The misleading advertising and introduction of attractive vape devices and flavours have increased the popularity of vaping, but now public opinion about its harm is slowly shifting.