‘Don’t try it at all. Just watch it and pass it. Don’t touch it’
A 39-year-old construction worker who is recovering from a severe medical crisis at the Georgetown Public Hospital has warned others against vaping, saying the habit left him unable to breathe and has permanently altered his life.
In a short video posted by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Devendra Jagmohan, of Land of Canaan, said he had been vaping heavily for about five to six months before being hospitalised following an accident.
Jagmohan said that during his treatment, it was discovered that his lungs were swollen and that an infection had affected other parts of his body. He attributed his breathing difficulties and deteriorating health to vaping.
“I used to vape a lot,” he said. “Every three or four days, I’d use a whole vape.”
Jagmohan said he had never smoked cigarettes but began vaping while visiting clubs on weekends because it made him “feel good”. Before his hospitalisation, he worked in construction during the week and went clubbing on weekends.
Now facing a lengthy recovery and significant changes to his lifestyle, Jagmohan said he cannot be exposed to cigarette smoke, vaping emissions or cement dust and is therefore unable to immediately return to construction work.
“It won’t be like how it used to be, like 100% before. It will take time. You can’t harass yourself,” he said of his recovery.
Jagmohan urged people, particularly those considering vaping recreationally, not to begin.
“I advise them not to use no type of vape or cigarette or anything because it could kill you,” he said. “Being in here, I realise it. I see it with my own two eyes. I feel it.”
“Don’t try it at all. Just watch it and pass it. Don’t touch it,” he added.
The GPHC said Jagmohan was sharing his experience to encourage others to consider the health consequences of vaping. It described his recovery as a long journey and said the experience had redefined his future and given him a mission to protect others from making the same mistake.
According to the Mayo Clinic, vaping-associated lung injuries may result from direct toxicity or damage to lung tissue caused by harmful chemical fumes. A Mayo Clinic study of lung biopsies from 17 patients who had vaped found acute lung injury in all cases, including pneumonitis, while two patients died.
The clinic has also cautioned that vaping does not produce harmless water vapour but an aerosol containing heated chemicals. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, while some aerosols may contain toxic substances such as nickel, tin, lead, benzene and formaldehyde. Flavourings and stabilisers may also cause inflammation in delicate lung tissue.
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