12-year-old Thai girl battles for life after vaping for 2 years. Can this habit kill you?

She was just 10 years old when she picked up her first vape. Now, at 12, she lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. A young girl from Thailand is the latest victim of vaping—a dangerous habit that is hooking children with colourful packaging, sweet flavours, and the false promise of being “harmless.”

According to The Nation, the girl who hails from Buri Ram province now suffers from near-total lung damage and doctors say she requires a ventilator to breathe.

This heartbreaking incident from the Asian country raises some important questions—just how much damage can vaping cause? How many lives has it already claimed? And why is it spreading so dangerously among young people? Let’s take a closer look.

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Family in shock over 12-year-old’s secret habit

The girl’s grandmother, known only as Ae, was heartbroken when she discovered the truth about her granddaughter.

“She had always been a diligent and hardworking student, but her behaviour changed noticeably when she entered Grade 4,” Ae told The Nation. She recalled how her granddaughter gradually withdrew from household chores and frequently went out, often saying she was studying with friends.

As time passed, her health worsened. She was rushed to Satuek Hospital after experiencing severe breathing difficulties, vomiting, and extreme weakness.

Doctors delivered devastating news—her lungs had been almost entirely damaged due to vaping, and she now needed a ventilator to survive.

The case first came to light after emergency responder Paphawarin Simlakorn shared images of students being taken to hospital with similar symptoms.

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According to The Bangkok Post, three other students from the same school, aged between 10 and 14, were also admitted with breathing difficulties and chest pain linked to prolonged e-cigarette use.

What makes vaping so addictive?

Vaping delivers nicotine, flavourings, and other chemicals into the body through an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vape pen.

The key reason vapes are so addictive is nicotine, a highly addictive substance commonly found in tobacco products. When a person inhales from a vape, the e-cigarette heats up liquid nicotine and flavouring, creating an aerosol that is then inhaled. This aerosol contains tiny metal particles and other harmful chemicals that enter the lungs.

Many e-liquids contain high concentrations of nicotine, which can have serious effects on young users. Studies show that exposure to nicotine at an early age can disrupt brain development, leading to memory issues, reduced attention span, mood disorders, and a higher risk of future substance abuse.

Beyond addiction, vaping can cause severe lung damage. Some vape liquids contain toxic chemicals like diacetyl, formaldehyde, and heavy metals, which have been linked to chronic coughing, respiratory issues, and a condition known as “popcorn lung” (bronchiolitis obliterans).

While researchers are still studying the long-term effects of vaping, the risks are becoming increasingly evident. According to the US CDC, vaping-related lung injuries (EVALI) had resulted in over 2,800 hospitalisations and 68 confirmed deaths in the United States alone by 2020.

Also read: Why Osaka has banned smoking, vaping in public?

Is vaping better than smoking?

Despite widespread belief, vaping is not a safer alternative to smoking—in fact, research suggests it may be just as harmful, if not worse.

A recent study by Manchester Metropolitan University found that vaping is linked to serious health risks, including organ failure, heart disease, and brain conditions like dementia.

“What we have found is the dangers for someone who keeps vaping are no different from smokers,” Dr Maxime Boidin told the Daily Mirror.

Dr Azmy Faisal, a senior lecturer in cardiorespiratory physiology at Manchester Met, provided more details on the study.

“In this study, we looked at a group of young people with no apparent signs of lung damage. Among the people who had been vaping or smoking for at least two years, we saw important differences in how well they coped with exercise,” he explained.

“The smokers and the vapers had measurably excess breathing while using the exercise bikes. They found it harder to breathe, their muscles became more fatigued, and they were less fit overall. In this regard, our research indicated that vaping is no better than smoking."

Additionally, the study found that people who vaped had damaged artery walls that failed to dilate during a stress test—an early warning sign of potential heart problems.

Vaping among teenagers on the rise

Many countries have moved to ban vaping, including India, which outlawed the import, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes in 2019. However, despite being illegal, vaping continues to grow in popularity—particularly among teenagers.

The sleek design of vape devices, their flavoured options, and widespread availability have made them highly appealing to young users. A 2023 survey by Think Change Forum found that 96 per cent of students aged 14-17 were unaware that vaping is illegal in India, while 89 per cent did not know about its health risks.

Even though awareness campaigns are increasing, access to e-cigarettes remains a major issue. A survey cited by The Times of India revealed that vape products are still widely available in major cities like Delhi and Bengaluru, often sold without age verification, making it easy for teenagers to get them.

On a global scale, the rise in teenage vaping is alarming.

According to a 2022 e-cigarette report, the number of e-cigarette users aged 15-24 had surged more than tenfold, from 24,050 to 269,533 within a year, reports Bangkok Post.

The prevalence of Asian adolescent vaping varied by the country’s e-cigarette policies: the highest prevalence in Indonesia 32.2 per cent (ever vapers) and 11.8 per cent (current vapers) in 2019 and the lowest in Japan with 2.1 per cent to 3.5 per cent (ever vapers) and 0.7 per cent to 1.0 per cent (current vapers) in 2017, according to a research paper on vaping among the Asian adolescent population.

In 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States: 1.63 million (5.9 per cent) students currently use e-cigarettes, according to the CDC. In the UK, nearly 20 per cent of individuals aged 11-17 have tried vaping, with 10 per cent of secondary school students regularly using e-cigarettes, according to data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

With input from agencies