Vaping Puts Five in Critical Condition in the Netherlands

Rising Cases in Hospitals Across the Country

Hospitals across the Netherlands are seeing more patients with severe lung complications caused by vaping. Sixteen medical facilities have reported multiple admissions for conditions like collapsed lungs, pneumonia, and COPD. The affected patients were mainly young individuals.

One such case involved a teenage girl who was admitted to intensive care last year. She spent several weeks in an artificial coma while supported by a heart-lung machine—a device that temporarily takes over both organs' functions to aid recovery.

Another case involved a 28-year-old man who was rushed to the hospital after coughing up large amounts of blood. His condition was so serious that his family was called in to say their goodbyes. He was placed on a ventilator and transferred to a more specialized hospital, where he remained in critical condition for several days.

A 17-year-old boy also experienced serious breathing problems and had to rely on a lung machine for a week. In a separate incident, a 19-year-old man and a man in his forties were admitted to intensive care within hours of each other. Initially misdiagnosed with double pneumonia, both were later found to be suffering from acute interstitial pneumonia caused by vaping. Doctors said that if they had arrived just a few hours later, they likely would not have survived.

Unpredictable Effects of Vaping

Medical experts remain unsure why vaping causes severe illness in some users while others seem unaffected, even when using the same product. Some individuals experience intense reactions such as lung hemorrhages and massive inflammation, while others show no symptoms at all. This unpredictable pattern has drawn comparisons to other recent public health crises, where symptoms varied drastically from person to person.

Call for Awareness Among Families

There is growing concern about the impact of vaping on young people. Families are being encouraged to talk openly with their children about the dangers. Raising awareness is seen as a key step in preventing more life-threatening cases in the future.