Richard Courtney, a father of three from Surrey was rushed to the hospital after his electronic cigarette burst and spilled hot liquid nicotine down to his throat, burning a hole in his lung, according to MSN News. The man bought the $150 device to supposedly give up smoking.
E-cigs work by vaporizing a solution that usually contains nicotine, a substance found in a regular cigarette. The cartridge has liquid nicotine containing either propylene glycol or glycerine and water. When used, the liquid is heated up turning it into water vapor. It is generally considered to be a healthier substitute to traditional cigarettes, which are known for their harmful carcinogenic chemicals.
When asked, the man said that he started vaping in an attempt to quit smoking after 16 years. He can't believe it still has put him in hospital. Later that day, when he could no longer breathe, he went to hospital where he was told his right lung was working at just 25% capacity. Courtney spent two nights in a Redhill hospital before being discharged with an inhaler. But while the 33-year-old man has been put off e-cigarettes, he is back to smoking roll-ups.
KangerTech, the Chinese manufacturer of the e-cigarette, has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, it's not the first time that vaping has been linked to such incidents. In July, a man named James Lauria from Alabama had first-degree burns and a hole in the roof of his mouth after his e-cig "blew up" in his face. The man was also rushed to the hospital, where he spent a week in intensive care.
According to Fox 5 News, Lauria's father revealed his son had burns on his hand, a fractured neck and finger, and burns to his cornea. It blew a hole through his pallet, flames went down and he got first-degree burns on his chest and up to his face. It forced the front tooth up into his gum- out of sight - and impair a few other on his lower teeth."
There is an estimated 2.1million e-cig users in the UK.
While they are promoted as means to stop smoking, some experts have expressed concerns they may act as a "gateway" to harmful illicit drugs. Studies conducted had pointed out that while trying to diminish many of the toxic compounds in tobacco, e-cigarettes delivers a highly addictive "pure nicotine" substance.
