UK teen shares warning after vaping addiction results in collapsed lung

A 19-year-old from the UK is sharing a stark warning about vaping after suffering a collapsed lung that he said was directly linked to his long-term habit, revealing he was still using his vape even while hospitalized before ultimately quitting on doctors’ advice.

Nathan Edmunds, who began vaping at just 13, told Kennedy News and Media that what started as a social habit quickly escalated into a daily addiction, with him refilling his vape multiple times a day and using it constantly throughout his routine.

He described a pattern of near-continuous use, saying the device was “always in my hand or in my pocket,” and that he would vape right up until sleep and immediately after waking, with little to no breaks in between.

On the night of December 19, 2025, Edmunds said he experienced no warning signs before waking up in severe pain as his lung collapsed while he was asleep, an incident that left him rushed to hospital by ambulance.

Doctors treated the condition with a chest drain, and Edmunds said he was fortunate to avoid surgery as the lung healed without further complications.

However, he admitted that even after being admitted to the hospital, he continued vaping until medical staff informed him that the habit was likely responsible for the collapsed lung, a moment he said immediately prompted him to throw his vape away.

Medical experts have previously warned about increasing cases of lung injuries linked to vaping among young people, with clinicians noting that patients often do not initially associate their symptoms with the habit.

Now recovering, Edmunds said he is speaking out to discourage teenagers from picking up vaping, stressing that the risks far outweigh what he describes as a temporary nicotine “rush.”

“I saw it happening to other people, but I used to think it wouldn’t happen to me,” he said, adding that he now urges others to stop before experiencing similar consequences.