Mum's warning after 12yo put into induced coma after vaping

Kids as young as ten are vaping with one mum sharing how the dangerous pastime put her daughter into an induced coma.

Mary Griffin, a mother from Belfast, shared her family's harrowing experience as her 12-year-old daughter, Sarah, was placed in an induced coma after vaping.

After complaining of not feeling well and beginning to cough, the 12-year-old's parents attributed it to her asthma and the changing weather, a known trigger for her condition.

"Her cough was no different from any other time, and she used her inhaler and nebuliser throughout the Sunday night into Monday morning," Mary said. 

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While the long-term effects of vaping aren't firmly established, they are revealing themselves in instances like Sarah's case. Source: Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

A turn for the worse

The next morning, Sarah's health deteriorated rapidly.

She called her mother, gasping for breath, prompting her father to rush her to the hospital.

Mary recalled, "She was on oxygen and was linked up to all sorts of machines. There were medical staff all around her assessing her, and they said she needed to go to ICU as she was deteriorating very quickly."

Doctors discovered that one of Sarah's lungs was badly injured, forcing the other lung to work overtime, aggravating her asthma.

Sarah had also developed an infection, which, combined with her weakened lungs, had a devastating impact on her health.

Doctors worked tirelessly for four-and-a-half hours before placing her in an induced coma.

Long-term consequences

After a period of instability, Sarah had to be placed in an induced coma when she became agitated during the initial awakening attempt.

Eventually, she was taken out of the coma, and after several days in the hospital, she returned home.

However, the effects of vaping would continue to impact her long-term, classifying her as a high-risk patient if admitted to the hospital in the future.

"The doctors explained that if Sarah hadn't been vaping, she would have been better positioned to fight off the infection," said Mary.

"Vaping had left her lungs very weak."

RELATED: ‘I will continue to vape through my pregnancy

The urgent message

While Sarah is now recovering at home, her mother stressed the need to understand the potential dangers of vaping. Mary pointed out that, despite not being a heavy vaper, the combination of vaping with her asthma had proven dangerous.

She share, "Young people are attracted to the bright colours and flavours of vapes - they might smell and taste sweet, but people need to know about the potential dangers associated with them."

The family hopes that sharing their story will make young people think twice about vaping.

Mary hopes Sarah's story will help inform parents of the dangers of vaping. Source: Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

RELATED: Boy rushed to hospital after trying vape at school

A dangerous trend

Vaping rates have surged in recent years, with the most significant increase occurring among individuals aged 18 to 24, reaching nearly 20% in early 2023.

Among the youngest age group (14 to 17), vaping rates climbed from less than 1% in 2018 to over 14% by March 2023, prompting Health Minister Mark Butler to announce measures to combat this growing trend, including a ban on recreational vaping.

Talking to your kids about staying safe

Talking to your kids about vaping and keeping them safe is about having open and honest chats.

Make sure they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with you. Be clued up on the dangers of vaping so you can give them accurate info.

Encourage them to ask questions and listen to what they say.

Talk about how vaping can harm their health, especially their lungs, and teach them to make intelligent choices and stand up to peer pressure.

Originally published as Mum's warning after 12yo put into induced coma after vaping