A leading authority has highlighted that stopping vaping before harm occurs is far more effective than trying to treat the resulting health issues, particularly the irreversible lung condition known as “popcorn lung,” or bronchiolitis obliterans. This disorder, which stems from exposure to chemicals like diacetyl found in some vaping products, inflicts lasting damage on the lungs.
Chemistry professor Donal O’Shea explained that diacetyl-once commonly used to give microwave popcorn its buttery flavor-can trigger inflammation and scarring in the lung’s smallest airways. Once this damage is done, medical interventions are limited, focusing mainly on alleviating symptoms with medications such as bronchodilators, or, in severe cases, considering lung transplants.
Although diacetyl is prohibited in e-cigarettes in the UK and EU, it still appears in certain illegal vaping products and is permitted in the United States. Other hazardous chemicals, including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, are also present in vape aerosols and can further injure lung tissue. With more than 180 flavoring agents used in e-cigarettes-many of which lack thorough safety testing-experts caution that repeated exposure to these substances raises the risk of developing serious respiratory illnesses.
Professor O’Shea and other specialists maintain that the most effective way to avoid vaping-related lung disease is to prevent use altogether, as current treatments can only manage symptoms rather than reverse the damage.