Experts issue urgent warning over ‘popcorn lung’ as studies reveal vaping condition is irreversible

Although vaping is often promoted as a safer alternative to smoking, experts warn that its long-term effects can cause lasting harm to the body.

Professor Donal O’Shea, a chemistry expert at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has raised concern about a serious and irreversible lung condition called bronchiolitis obliterans, more commonly known as “popcorn lung.” This illness damages the smallest airways in the lungs, leading to persistent coughing, wheezing, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

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The term “popcorn lung” first appeared in the early 2000s, when factory workers at a microwave popcorn plant developed severe lung problems after inhaling diacetyl, a chemical used to give popcorn its buttery flavor.

“Just like in the popcorn factories, many flavoured vapes contain diacetyl,” O’Shea explained in an article for The Conversation. “When it’s heated and turned into vapor, it becomes a toxic substance that can seriously harm the lungs.”

His warning follows a recent case involving a 17-year-old who was diagnosed with popcorn lung after three years of vaping.

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According to O’Shea, there is no cure for the condition once damage occurs.
“Treatment focuses only on easing symptoms,” he said. “That may involve bronchodilators, steroids, or in severe cases, a lung transplant. Prevention, not treatment, is the only real protection.”

Diacetyl isn’t the only dangerous chemical in e-cigarettes. Other harmful substances—such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, known as volatile carbonyls—are also inhaled through vaping.

Experts estimate that more than 180 flavouring agents are used in e-cigarette products today. When heated, these ingredients can break down into new compounds—many of which have never been tested for inhalation safety.

While it’s unclear whether diacetyl alone is responsible for popcorn lung, the combined exposure to numerous chemicals in vape aerosols poses a clear risk to lung health.

Although diacetyl is banned in vape products in the EU and UK, it remains legal in several other countries, including the United States.

If you know someone who vapes or is considering it, please share this article to help raise awareness of the potential dangers.