A girl aged just 20 has been diagnosed with Popcorn Lung and told she could end up needing an oxygen machine by 30 - after becoming so addicted to her vape she fell asleep holding it. Abby Flynn claims she's never smoked a cigarette in her life but started using disposable vapes around a year and a half ago as they became 'trendy'. But Amanda says she soon became so addicted she puffed through one disposable a day, which is the equivalent to 140 cigarettes a week, and at £4.50 a pop, the habit set her back by £135 a month.
The former supermarket maintenance coordinator said that as time went by her cough got progressively worse until she couldn't breathe last month, so dashed to hospital. Abby was taken into resus and was given oxygen, x-rays and medication, before she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans - better known as 'popcorn lung'. It's an uncommon type of lung disease caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs, which blocks the flow of air.
She claims she was told by docs that if she didn't kick the habit within the next decade, she'd soon be relying on a machine to help her breathe, which was a massive 'wake up call'. As Abby's currently struggling with her chest daily and taking medication for the foreseeable future, she's keen to urge vapers to ditch their devices or at least reduce their consumption.
