Warnings have been reissued regarding the dangers of vaping for young people, following an incident where a teenager began coughing up significant amounts of blood.
In August 2024, Jayden Richardson, aged 17, experienced a frightening situation on the final day of his family’s holiday in Turkey when he began coughing up blood.
Upon returning home, Jayden was taken to the hospital. His mother, Elita Richardson, mentions that medical staff initially suspected a stomach ulcer.
Elita considered the possibility that his symptoms were related to the consumption of alcohol, greasy foods, and frequent kebabs during their vacation.
However, the family was taken aback when an endoscopy revealed significant lung damage, which doctors attributed to Jayden’s vaping habit.
Jayden reportedly started vaping at 12 years old to blend in with peers, consuming a 10ml bottle of vape juice every two to three days, equating to approximately 50 cigarettes daily.
Reflecting on the alarming event, Jayden, from Shropshire, UK, shared: “I was terrified. I never thought vaping could cause all this.”
“It started off in Turkey. The night before I had a bit of chest pain but didn’t really think much of it whatsoever. I woke up the next morning, had a quick go on my vape and just as if I had a bit of a chesty cough.”
“I went to cough a few times and it felt a bit phlegmy so I went to spit it out. I saw that it was blood and this put me in shock. I didn’t know what to do myself,” he added.
Discussing how he began vaping, Jayden said: “Everyone was doing it around me. I felt like it was kind of to fit in but it just felt normal to do it.”
“I was vaping everyday. I wouldn’t really put it down to be honest. It’s just a bad habit really. Once you start, obviously it’s highly addictive, it’s hard to stop.”
His mother later posted on Facebook, urging others to “please consider vaping because you never think it’s going to happen to you.”
Jayden’s ordeal coincides with a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) about vaping contributing to a ‘new wave’ of nicotine addiction.
Dr. Etienne Krug from WHO stated: “They are marketed as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.”
WHO reports that 15 million children globally use e-cigarettes, with children being nine times more likely than adults to vape.