The truth about vaping and lung health

For many years, the risks associated with smoking cigarettes have been widely publicized. While smoking remains the most common gateway to nicotine dependence, vaping has increased in popularity in recent years, especially among teens and young adults. Though it's considered a safer alternative to cigarettes, “safer” doesn’t mean “safe,” and vaping isn't without risks. So, let's talk about it.

Cleveland Clinic describes vaping as using “a small, handheld device (like e-cigarettes, vape pens, or mods) to inhale a mist of nicotine and flavoring (e-liquid).” According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, as recently as 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students, impacting 1.63 million (5.9%). As of 2020, of the students who vaped at the time the data was collected, CDC statistics showed that many wanted to quit or had tried to quit but had trouble. This makes sense as vapes deliver nicotine, which is the same highly addictive substance found in traditional cigarettes. The American Cancer Society explains nicotine becomes hard to quit because it floods the brain with dopamine and adrenaline, the body builds tolerance to it over time, and people using it will experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop.

Like traditional cigarettes, vaping negatively impacts the lungs. Though vaping hasn’t been around long enough for researchers to determine whether or not it causes cancer, it affects the body in other ways. For example, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, e-cigarettes contain several substances that pose a risk to the lungs when heated up, such as:

• Diacetyl: A food additive known to damage passageways in the lungs
• Formaldehyde: A toxic chemical that can cause lung and heart disease
• Acrolein: A colorless liquid commonly found in weed killers

The American Cancer Society also reports vaping can be responsible for several lung-associated health issues, including:

• Popcorn lung: This rare condition is caused by diacetyl and results in damage to the lung’s passageways. Inhaling diacetyl causes inflammation and creates scarring in the branches of the airways which can lead to several symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. There is no lasting treatment for popcorn lung.
  
  
• Vaping-related lipoid pneumonia: This particular type of pneumonia develops when fatty acids—which can be found within the substances that make up e-liquids—enter the lungs. Common symptoms include chronic cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. Other than supportive care, there is no good treatment for lipoid pneumonia.
  
  
• Collapsed lung: This happens when oxygen escapes through a hole in the lung. While the hole is often a result of injury, in people who smoke or vape, this usually occurs when air blisters create tiny tears in the lungs. When the air blisters burst, the lung collapses, leading to sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing.

While vaping may seem like a modern alternative to traditional smoking, the risks to lung health are real and worth taking seriously. From inhaling harmful chemicals to developing conditions like popcorn lung, evidence continues to show that vaping is far from harmless. If you smoke or vape, the most important step you can take is to stay informed and pay attention to your health. If you’re a member of Mass General Brigham Health Plan who’s dependent on nicotine, you can get help quitting using our Quit for Life program. To speak with a treatment specialist today, call 857-282-3096 or email HealthPlanQuitSmoking@mgb.org.