A TikTok content creator has issued an urgent warning to those addicted to vaping after detailing the irreversible damage it has caused to his lungs as well as a terrifying ordeal that saw him have a 'mini heart attack'.
Vaping has been taken up by thousands of Americans in recent years as an alternative to smoking, and while we're often told that vaping is still risky, experts reckon it is still better for us than smoking regular cigarettes.
However, one study earlier this year found a flavoured vape may be 'more dangerous than smoking', while limited research on the tobacco substitute could also raise concerns.
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And you've then got the stories of people who have had their lives turned upside down as a result of their vaping habit.
Jacob Temple is one of those after beginning to puff on vapes at the age of 15 and continuing to do so for a period of 12 years.
Hancock Clarion, a local West Kentucky newspaper, reports Temple suffered a 'mini heart attack' from vaping after he sustained an anterior myocardial infarction, which in simple terms is when wall of the heart becomes damaged due to a lack of blood supply caused by a blockage.
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Damage to Jacob’s oesophagus had caused an air bubble to form, which pressed against his heart, triggering the terrifying health scare.
“I went back to the hospital and they hooked me up to an EKG because my blood oxygen level was below 70, and I had a mini heart attack. I had it while I was hooked up to the EKG. That was probably the worst it was," he explained.
In a recent TikTok video, Temple issued a warning to those who are yet to ditch their vaping habit amid ongoing fears about the damage it can do to the body.
"So, this is a PSA to anyone out there who's still using those electronic robot dongs (vapes) to breathe in flavoured air. Stop before you regret it, okay.
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"I now have the lungs of a 70-year-old man, all of the small airway tubes at the bottom of your lungs, those are scarred up permanently, forever.
"I can never inflate or deflate my lungs to 100 percent. It feels like I'm breathing through a straw constantly and there's nothing that can be done."
Temple has previously spoke to the Hancock Clarion about vaping and the impact it's had on his health.
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Speaking to the weekly newspaper last year, the TikToker said: " I can’t really breathe well anymore. I can’t run after my kids like I used to. I have to take a pretty slow pace at work a lot of the time just because of how bad it is. It’s like permanent asthma; It’s always ongoing.
"I don’t have asthma attacks but my lungs don’t work at 100 percent anymore. I’ve done so much damage to the small airways of my lungs, that they will never open back up. I basically have half my lungs all from vaping."
Callum Jones