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| Vaping nearly killed me, says British teenager | Vaping nearly killed me, says British teenager |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A teenage boy nearly died after vaping caused a catastrophic reaction in his lungs, doctors in Nottingham say. | A teenage boy nearly died after vaping caused a catastrophic reaction in his lungs, doctors in Nottingham say. |
| Ewan Fisher was connected to an artificial lung to keep him alive after his own lungs failed and he could not breathe. | Ewan Fisher was connected to an artificial lung to keep him alive after his own lungs failed and he could not breathe. |
| Ewan told BBC News e-cigarettes had "basically ruined me" and urged other young people not to vape. | Ewan told BBC News e-cigarettes had "basically ruined me" and urged other young people not to vape. |
| His doctors say vaping is "not safe", although health bodies in the UK say it is 95% safer than tobacco. | His doctors say vaping is "not safe", although health bodies in the UK say it is 95% safer than tobacco. |
| Listen: Beyond Today - Can vaping kill you? | Listen: Beyond Today - Can vaping kill you? |
| What happened? | What happened? |
| Ewan started vaping in early 2017. He was 16 at the time and wanted to quit smoking to improve his boxing. | Ewan started vaping in early 2017. He was 16 at the time and wanted to quit smoking to improve his boxing. |
| Despite being under age, he said, "it was easy" to buy either cigarettes or e-cigarettes. | Despite being under age, he said, "it was easy" to buy either cigarettes or e-cigarettes. |
| In May that year, Ewan was finding it harder and harder to breathe. | In May that year, Ewan was finding it harder and harder to breathe. |
| His mother took Ewan to accident and emergency on the night before his GCSE exams, because he was coughing and choking in his sleep. | His mother took Ewan to accident and emergency on the night before his GCSE exams, because he was coughing and choking in his sleep. |
| His lungs were failing and he very quickly ended up on life-support in intensive care in Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. | His lungs were failing and he very quickly ended up on life-support in intensive care in Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. |
| "I thought I was going to die," Ewan told BBC News. | "I thought I was going to die," Ewan told BBC News. |
| Ewan was getting worse. Even ventilation could not get enough oxygen into his body and his life was in the balance. | Ewan was getting worse. Even ventilation could not get enough oxygen into his body and his life was in the balance. |
| He was taken to Leicester and attached to an artificial lung or ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) machine. | He was taken to Leicester and attached to an artificial lung or ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) machine. |
| "This machine saved my life," he said. | "This machine saved my life," he said. |
| Large tubes took blood out of Ewan, removed the carbon dioxide, added oxygen and pumped the blood back into his body. | Large tubes took blood out of Ewan, removed the carbon dioxide, added oxygen and pumped the blood back into his body. |
| "He had very serious respiratory failure, he had to go to ECMO and that is a very big deal," Dr Jayesh Bhatt, a consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals, told BBC News. | "He had very serious respiratory failure, he had to go to ECMO and that is a very big deal," Dr Jayesh Bhatt, a consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals, told BBC News. |
| "He got as ill as anyone can get." | "He got as ill as anyone can get." |
| The case - from May 2017 - has just come to light in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. | The case - from May 2017 - has just come to light in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. |
| How is Ewan now? | How is Ewan now? |
| Ewan, who is 19 on Tuesday, had a long recovery. It was six months before he was properly up and on his feet again. | Ewan, who is 19 on Tuesday, had a long recovery. It was six months before he was properly up and on his feet again. |
| "I'm still not back to normal, I'd say 75-80%, it's in the last six months that I'm feeling a bit stronger in myself," he said. | "I'm still not back to normal, I'd say 75-80%, it's in the last six months that I'm feeling a bit stronger in myself," he said. |
| "Vaping has basically ruined me, I try to tell everyone and they think I'm being stupid, I tell my mates and they don't listen. | "Vaping has basically ruined me, I try to tell everyone and they think I'm being stupid, I tell my mates and they don't listen. |
| "They still do it... but they've seen what I've been through. | |
| "Is it worth risking your life for smoking e-cigs? | "Is it worth risking your life for smoking e-cigs? |
| "I don't want you to end up like me and I don't want you to be dead, I wouldn't wish [that] on anyone." | "I don't want you to end up like me and I don't want you to be dead, I wouldn't wish [that] on anyone." |
| Ewan also fears being around other vapers - everywhere from the pub to High Street - could damage his lungs again. | Ewan also fears being around other vapers - everywhere from the pub to High Street - could damage his lungs again. |
| Is vaping to blame? | Is vaping to blame? |
| His doctors say the answer is yes. | His doctors say the answer is yes. |
| Ewan developed a condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis - something he was breathing in was setting off his immune system, with catastrophic consequences. | Ewan developed a condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis - something he was breathing in was setting off his immune system, with catastrophic consequences. |
| "You get an over-exuberant inflammatory response and the lungs pay a price and develop respiratory failure," Dr Bhatt said. | "You get an over-exuberant inflammatory response and the lungs pay a price and develop respiratory failure," Dr Bhatt said. |
| One of the most common forms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is "bird fancier's lung", which is caused by particles from feathers or bird droppings. | One of the most common forms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is "bird fancier's lung", which is caused by particles from feathers or bird droppings. |
| When scientists tested the two e-cigarette liquids Ewan had been using, they found one of them was triggering an immune reaction. | When scientists tested the two e-cigarette liquids Ewan had been using, they found one of them was triggering an immune reaction. |
| Dr Bhatt said: "The real learning point is vaping is not safe, especially for young people, they should never go near it. | Dr Bhatt said: "The real learning point is vaping is not safe, especially for young people, they should never go near it. |
| "We consider e-cigarettes as 'much safer than tobacco' at our peril." | "We consider e-cigarettes as 'much safer than tobacco' at our peril." |
| How common is this? | How common is this? |
| There are 3.6 million people vaping in the UK and reactions like this are rare. | There are 3.6 million people vaping in the UK and reactions like this are rare. |
| However, doctors have told BBC News Ewan's case is not an isolated incident. | However, doctors have told BBC News Ewan's case is not an isolated incident. |
| "As vaping becomes more popular, we are beginning to see more cases," Dr Hemant Kulkarni, a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said. | "As vaping becomes more popular, we are beginning to see more cases," Dr Hemant Kulkarni, a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said. |
| He told BBC News: "Some of the cases my colleagues and I have seen are teenagers presenting with severe lung injury and some of these have been life-threatening. | He told BBC News: "Some of the cases my colleagues and I have seen are teenagers presenting with severe lung injury and some of these have been life-threatening. |
| "However, in the cases I've been involved in, patients are now regaining normal lung function." | "However, in the cases I've been involved in, patients are now regaining normal lung function." |
| Dr Kulkarni is "surprised" e-cigarettes are advertised in the UK, given the severe reaction they can cause in children and a lack of scientific studies on their safety. | Dr Kulkarni is "surprised" e-cigarettes are advertised in the UK, given the severe reaction they can cause in children and a lack of scientific studies on their safety. |
| Is vaping dangerous? | Is vaping dangerous? |
| Smoking is pretty much the worst thing you can do for your health. | Smoking is pretty much the worst thing you can do for your health. |
| E-cigarettes are promoted in the UK as a way to quit because they let people inhale nicotine in vapour rather than breathing in smoke. | E-cigarettes are promoted in the UK as a way to quit because they let people inhale nicotine in vapour rather than breathing in smoke. |
| Ewan's reaction was extreme, but what about the rest of us who would not end up with hypersensitivity pneumonitis? | |
| Public Health England says vaping is 95% safer than smoking but is not without risks. | Public Health England says vaping is 95% safer than smoking but is not without risks. |
| Rosanna O' Connor, the body's director of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, said: "Smoking kills half of lifelong smokers and accounts for almost 220 deaths in England every day. | Rosanna O' Connor, the body's director of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, said: "Smoking kills half of lifelong smokers and accounts for almost 220 deaths in England every day. |
| "Our advice remains that while not completely risk free, UK regulated e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoked tobacco." | "Our advice remains that while not completely risk free, UK regulated e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoked tobacco." |
| But there are arguments about how safe vaping really is. | But there are arguments about how safe vaping really is. |
| The World Health Organization says e-cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful and should therefore be subject to regulation". | The World Health Organization says e-cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful and should therefore be subject to regulation". |
| It also raises concerns vaping is being aggressively marketed at young people - particularly through the use of flavourings - and risked re-normalising smoking. | It also raises concerns vaping is being aggressively marketed at young people - particularly through the use of flavourings - and risked re-normalising smoking. |
| Is Ewan's case similar to those in the US? | Is Ewan's case similar to those in the US? |
| The deaths of 39 people in the US have been connected to vaping and have prompted worldwide concern about its safety. | The deaths of 39 people in the US have been connected to vaping and have prompted worldwide concern about its safety. |
| There have been 2,051 cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (called EVALI) in the outbreak. | There have been 2,051 cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (called EVALI) in the outbreak. |
| Most of those cases, but not all, have been linked to vaping THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. | Most of those cases, but not all, have been linked to vaping THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. |
| Ewan was using standard e-cigarettes bought from a shop. | |
| What do experts says? | What do experts says? |
| Dr Nick Hopkinson, medical director of the British Lung Foundation, said: "If people switch completely from smoking to vaping, they will substantially reduce their health risk as e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco and any harmful components are present at a much lower level. | |
| "People who do switch should try to quit vaping in the long term too but not at the expense of relapsing to smoking - and non-smokers should not take up vaping." | "People who do switch should try to quit vaping in the long term too but not at the expense of relapsing to smoking - and non-smokers should not take up vaping." |
| Prof John Britton, the director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, at the University of Nottingham, said: "This is worrying, and the risk needs to be acknowledged, but in absolute terms it is extremely small and, crucially, far smaller than that of smoking. | Prof John Britton, the director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, at the University of Nottingham, said: "This is worrying, and the risk needs to be acknowledged, but in absolute terms it is extremely small and, crucially, far smaller than that of smoking. |
| "The advice remains the same: if you smoke, switch to vaping; if you don't smoke, don't vape." | "The advice remains the same: if you smoke, switch to vaping; if you don't smoke, don't vape." |
| Follow James on Twitter. | Follow James on Twitter. |