A woman who was so addicted to vaping that she showered with her e-cigarette nearly died when her lungs collapsed and a black substance came out of her mouth and nose.
Jordan Brielle had been smoking since she was a teenager, but quit in 2021 and decided to switch to vaping.
But the 32-year-old soon became addicted and ended up spending large amounts of money to support her new habit.
Ms Brielle, of Cincinnati, Ohio, first noticed her health was declining in November 2023, when she began to feel a marked “heaviness” in her chest.
Although the residential care worker went to the hospital two or three times a week for respiratory problems, she continued to vape.
Jordan Brielle had been smoking cigarettes since she was a teenager, but when she quit in 2021 she decided to switch to vaping.
But the 32-year-old soon became addicted to vaping and ended up spending $500 (£379) a week to maintain the habit.
Ms Brielle, a residential care assistant from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, first noticed her health was declining in November 2023 when she began to feel a distinct heaviness in her chest.
In May this year, she was rushed to hospital after her partner found her unconscious in bed with “black mucus” dripping from her nose and mouth.
Once at the hospital, doctors suctioned two liters of “black” fluid from her lungs and placed her in a medically induced coma for 11 days.
Ms Brielle said she has not touched an e-cigarette since and is now warning others to stay away from the habit.
She said: ‘I was completely addicted. I was vaping so much that I would sleep with it, take it with me into the shower. I was vaping excessively.
‘In mid-November, I started to feel a heaviness in my chest. At first it was just a respiratory infection or bronchitis, so I kept going to the hospital for breathing problems.
‘I had a terrible cough and had to go to the hospital two or three times a week to get help. I had little or no voice.
Even though one boy’s stepmother went to the hospital two or three times a week for breathing problems, she continued to vape.
In May this year, she was rushed to hospital after her partner found her unconscious in bed with “black mucus” dripping from her nose and mouth.
Once at the hospital, doctors suctioned two liters of “black” fluid from her lungs and placed her in a medically induced coma for 11 days.
‘Every time I was sent home, I felt like I had 40 kilos of pressure on my chest. I had never felt so bad in my life.
‘My body was swelling from my ankles to my kneecaps. I kept going to the hospital as my condition was getting progressively worse.
‘My skin was turning grey, I couldn’t concentrate, I was very disoriented. It hurt to walk. I could barely do anything. No one knew what was really wrong with me. I felt like I was dying.’
Even when he contracted Covid-19 and pneumonia, he says he continued vaping throughout his health issues.
It was only after his admission to hospital that he decided to quit e-cigarettes for good.
Doctors found he had at least two liters of fluid in his lungs, which were also extremely damaged by smoking and vaping.
Ms Brielle confessed she hasn’t touched a vape since and is now warning others to stay away from the habit.
Ms Brielle said: ‘When she went to wake me up (before a night shift), she said I had black mucus coming out of my mouth and nose. She said I was gasping for air but couldn’t catch my breath. I was unresponsive and had a weak pulse.
‘He started sucking the sputum out of my nose and mouth to try to give me CPR.
“She called 911 because CPR wasn’t working. I don’t remember anything. I was immediately intubated and taken to the hospital.”
Doctors found he had at least two liters of fluid in his lungs, which were also extremely damaged by smoking and vaping.
Ms Brielle said: “My body was trying to expel the e-cigarette liquid inside my lungs, which was like cement. It was pure black and full of blood. At the hospital, they were sucking it out of me.”
“I felt like I had a balloon burst in my lungs. I had to do breathing and breathing exercises before I was discharged. I was left with a mild brain injury due to lack of oxygen to the brain,” he added.
Doctors told him there is still a strong chance his lungs will collapse again.
She said: ‘They really saved my life. They told me that if I had waited any longer I wouldn’t have been here. I haven’t touched an e-cigarette since.
“I would tell anyone else to quit smoking any way they can. Do it for your health, your family, your life, your lungs – whatever motivates you, use that reason and quit. I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone else. I’m grateful to be alive.”
In 2022, there were nearly 350 hospitalisations in England for vaping, believed to be mainly due to respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pain, lung inflammation and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.
Vapes with appealing flavors like cotton candy and crème brûlée have hooked millions of young people.
Public Health Wales (PHW) figures show the number of pupils vaping at least once a week in their final year of secondary school has more than doubled in Wales, from 6.6 per cent in 2017 to 13.6 per cent in 2021.
This is despite the fact that the sale of vapes to under-18s is banned and anyone caught selling them to minors can be fined and prosecuted by the Trading Standards Office.
An analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that millions of U.S. school students also use e-cigarettes.
More than 6.2 million school-aged children tried tobacco products, such as vapes, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in 2023.
Among those who have tried e-cigarettes, about 47 percent vape today and about 25 percent do so daily, roughly the same rate as in 2022.
Everything you need to know about electronic cigarettes
How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette?
There are many different brands of e-cigarettes, which contain different levels of nicotine.
The legal amount of nicotine in e-liquid in the UK is 20mg/ml, which equates to between 600 and 800 puffs.
The Elf Bar 600, one of Britain’s most popular vaporizers, is advertised with nicotine strengths of 0mg, 10mg, and 20mg.
How many cigarettes are in an electronic cigarette?
The Elf Bar 600 contains the equivalent of 48 cigarettes, analysts say.
It provides 600 puffs before you have to throw it away, meaning that, in theory, every 12.5 puffs is equivalent to one cigarette.
Experts say that for many e-cigarettes, 100 puffs is equivalent to ten regular cigarettes.
Elf Bars are a brand of e-cigarettes that are often sold in bright colors and with kid-friendly names and flavors, such as Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Green Gummy Bear.
Is vaping better for your health than cigarettes?
According to the NHS, vaping products are considered better than cigarettes as users are exposed to fewer toxins and at lower levels.
The health service adds that vaping instead of smoking cigarettes reduces exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and heart and circulation diseases such as strokes and heart attacks.
Public Health England, now defunct, published an independent expert review in 2015 that concluded e-cigarettes are about 95 percent less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
However, vaping is not risk-free, as although levels in tobacco products are much higher, e-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.
And Dr Onkar Mudhar, a London dentist who posts videos on TikTok, said Elf bars can cause inflammation, swelling and bleeding of the gums.
He said this is because nicotine dries out the mouth and reduces saliva, causing irritation due to the buildup of bacteria and food that cannot be washed away.
In 2022, there were nearly 350 hospitalisations in England for vaping, believed to be mainly due to respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pain, lung inflammation and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.