Teen in coma after developing vaping-related lung disease that’s become an ‘epidemic’ in US – The Sun

A TEENAGER is in a medically induced coma after developing a severe lung illness caused by his vaping habit.

Kevin Boclair, 19, is connected to a heart and lung machine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in America, where doctors say he may need a double lung transplant.

And the university student's parents are now warning others about the dangers of vaping – with the hope others can avoid the same heartache.

His devastated mum, Debbie, who is a registered nurse, told 6ABC: "It's horrible, every day to see him like this.

"They know it's vaping. This is even new to the doctors. They told me outright, you know, we're treating all the things he had.

"He came in, he had double pneumonia. They treated that with antibiotics.


"They're treating all the different things, but there's parts they don't even know what's going on."

She added that Kevin had quit e-cigarettes but slowly started again because he had become hooked to the flavour.

Kevin’s health began deteriorating about two weeks ago, shortly before he was set to start his second year of university.

Debbie added: "He was coughing violently enough that he was throwing up. In the morning, he didn’t look good.

"His colour was like grey. I ran him to the urgent care and they did an X-ray."

No parent should have to walk into a hospital room and see their son having his blood sucked out of one leg with five tubes down his throat, looking dead

Kevin's parents are now unsure as to whether he will make a full recovery but are hoping to warn others about the dangers of vaping.

His dad, Len, added: "No parent should have to walk into a hospital room and see their son having his blood sucked out of one leg with five tubes down his throat, looking dead."

It comes just days after a teen in Utah was also put in a coma in August after she developed a rare lung disease possibly caused by her years of daily vaping.

She wrote following her ordeal: "I used to just tell myself it won't happen to me, but it can and will happen to you too…take my advice, don't smoke, don't vape. #vape #stopthevape."

It follows a spike of mysterious and life-threatening lung diseases – believed to be linked to vaping – over the summer.

How safe are e-cigarettes in the UK?

In the UK, e-cigarettes are tightly regulated for safety and quality.

They're not completely risk free, but they carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes.

E-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke.

The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at much lower levels.

While nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, it's relatively harmless.

Almost all of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke, many of which are toxic.

Nicotine replacement therapy has been widely used for many years to help people stop smoking and is a safe treatment.

There's no evidence so far that vaping causes harm to other people around you.

This is in contrast to secondhand smoke from smoking, which is known to be very harmful to health.

Source: NHS

The US alone has now reported more than 215 people, mostly otherwise healthy and in their teens or 20s, have shown up at hospitals with breathing difficulties.

Often they've also suffered with vomiting, fever and fatigue for several days prior.

Some have even ended up in intensive care on a ventilator for several weeks.

It's prompted health bosses to issue a warning while they investigate the issue.

The US's health protection agency, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that people should "consider restraining from using e-cigarette products".

So far, officials have identified 215 possible cases of lung disease related to vaping in 25 states, but the cause is still unknown, they said in a statement.

More on vaping

VAPING ON NHS

Smokers trying to quit will be prescribed e-cigarettes on the NHS in months

BACK TO CIGS

Over half of smokers who switch to vaping go back to cigarettes, study shows

UP IN SMOKE

The rules on vaping while driving – and whether you can be fined

VAPE 'CIG' LABEL

E-cigs should come with tobacco-style warnings on packaging, doctors say

Dr Melodi Pirzada, chief paediatric pulmonologist in Mineola, New York, told The New York Times the outbreak is "becoming an epidemic… something is very wrong.”

Health investigators are trying to establish whether a particular toxin or substance is being sneaked into products or whether it stems from heavy usages or vaping marijuana.

Many patients have either denied or say they have no knowledge about the substances they might have used – making treatment complicated.

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