### Teen’s Collapsed Lung Serves as Warning Against Vaping
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A young man from Wolverhampton has bravely shared his personal story of health decline due to vaping, highlighting the potential dangers of the popular habit. Nathan Edmunds, now 19, began vaping at the tender age of 13 and has since become an outspoken advocate for awareness on vaping risks after suffering a collapsed lung.
Edmunds’ journey into vaping began as a teenager who found it both appealing and social. “I thought it was cool and some of my friends were doing it so I picked one up, tried it and it just stuck about,” he recalls. Initially unaware of his rapidly developing addiction, he became accustomed to refilling his vape up to three times a day with fruity flavours like strawberry kiwi.
He describes how vaping dominated his daily routine. “I was constantly picking it up, every five minutes, having a few drags,” he stated. The device became an inseparable part of his life, often residing in his hand or pocket. Edmunds admits, “Just before I’d go to sleep I’d have my last drag,” reinforcing the habit’s grip on him.
However, on December 19, 2025, his life took a drastic turn. Without any prior warning or symptoms, he awoke in severe pain to find that he had suffered a collapsed lung during the night. The sudden onset of distress was alarming. “That’s the scariest part about it,” he expressed, recalling how he was jolted awake by the pain.
Nathan was quickly taken to the hospital via ambulance, where doctors treated his collapsed lung through a drainage procedure. Fortunately, he did not require surgery, as the injury healed relatively quickly. Despite being in a medical facility, Nathan’s vaping habit remained unshaken initially. He admitted, “I was still vaping at the hospital.” It was only after medical professionals informed him of the direct correlation between his vaping and the lung issue that he decided to quit. “I chucked it in the bin there and then,” he recounted.
The alarming trend of vaping-related health issues among young people has caught the attention of medical experts. Dr Stephen Broderick, a lung cancer surgeon at Johns Hopkins, noted a worrying increase in cases of collapsed lungs in adolescents. He mentioned the rising number of patients who claim they do not smoke but readily admit to vaping. “We always ask if they’ve been smoking, and the response is often, ‘No, I don’t smoke. But I do vape.’”
Edmunds’s experience serves as a critical warning for today’s youth. He hopes his story will resonate with other teenagers who might underestimate the dangers associated with vaping. “It’s not worth it, just to have a bit of a fruity flavour in your mouth or have a nicotine rush,” he cautions. He acknowledges the shared mindset among his peers, admitting, “I saw it obviously happening to other people but I used to say it wouldn’t happen to me.”
This optimistic yet cautionary tale emphasises the perils that can lie beneath the surface of seemingly harmless pastimes. Nathan Edmunds wants to encourage fellow teens to reconsider their choices before any irreversible damage occurs: “Everyone says that until it happens to you. Pack it in before it’s too late.”
With this plea, Edmunds hopes to contribute to a larger conversation about the risks of vaping, particularly among young people who have been drawn in by its marketing and peer pressure. His commitment to raising awareness may pave the way for others to avoid the pitfalls of addiction and health complications. Ultimately, his message is clear: the appealing facade of vaping can quickly turn into a grave reality that may not be visible until it is too late.