Vape addict's plea after lungs collapse twice at age 20 - "I felt like I was dying"

Karlee Ozkurt, a self-professed "vaping addict," is advocating for a ban on e-cigarettes after enduring two collapses of her right lung, leaving it permanently scarred. The 20-year-old, who has been vaping for five years after succumbing to peer pressure, now considers it her life's greatest regret.

Karlee's lung collapsed for the first time in November 2021 while at work. Initially mistaking the symptoms for a muscle spasm, she sought medical attention after the excruciating chest pain left her feeling like she was 'dying.

She resumed the habit after having her lung re-expanded with a needle and syringe, only to experience another collapse in November 2022, which required an operation to attach it to the chest wall.

Her traumatic experience has led Karlee to quit vaping for good, although she is worried her long-term health effects are severe. She emphasises the addictive nature of vaping, advocating for greater awareness of its risks and withdrawal effects which include uncontrollable, full-body shakes and extreme irritability.

Karlee said: “You never think this type of thing will happen to you - but it happened to me. It felt like my lung was on fire.

“I fell into the trap of thinking vaping was cool - but it’s stupid. I didn’t realise until it was too late.

“And the worrying thing is, I still don’t know whether I’ve done irreparable damage because we’re unaware of the long-term effects.

“I could die at 40 or 50 - and all because of a five-year habit I was peer-pressured into.”

Karlee, who is a medical assistant from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US, started vaping at 15 years old after she noticed her friends in the year above doing it. Over the years, Karlee found herself reliant on the nicotine buzz provided by the device, going through an entire 600-puff device per day.

She experienced her first lung collapse while vaping in a restroom at work. After a sleepless night of chest pain, she visited the hospital and an x-ray revealed her right lung had collapsed by 50 per cent.

After three months, Karlee began vaping regularly again - and a year later, her lung collapsed again. "Your chance of recurrence increases every time it happens," she explained

“After a CT scan and operating on my lung, my doctor noticed some real scarring on the bottom of it and all along it. “

"When I was conscious, I asked him what might have caused it - and he said undoubtedly it was from vaping.”

In a heartfelt plea to others, Karlee has urged young individuals to steer clear of its allure. "It's not cool - just plain stupid," she said. Ms Ozkurt is currently on 1mg of Chantix - a pill which gets in the way of nicotine in the brain to stop smokers enjoying it so much - to help her quit.

“It takes three, four weeks to break a habit - I don’t want it to be the rest of my life."