Jackson Allard, a 22-year-old from North Dakota, has issued an urgent health warning about the dangers of vaping after his own near-death experience. Allard began vaping at the age of 14, and over the years, his addiction led to severe health complications. In October, he was hospitalized with stomach pain, which was initially misdiagnosed as Influenza 4 and double pneumonia. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, resulting in him needing a double lung transplant at the University of Minnesota Medical Center earlier this year.
Allard’s journey has been harrowing. He spent the first three months of the year on life support, fully intubated, with his heart stopping at one point. Despite the grim prognosis, with doctors giving him a one percent chance of survival, Allard fought through the odds. His grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that multiple doctors warned about the long-term effects of vaping. They compared it to smoking cigarettes for decades, which leads to lung cancer, while vaping for a few years can cause permanent lung damage.
Dr. Stephanie Hanson from Stanford highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the long-term effects of vaping, calling it one of the scariest aspects. A study from the University of Texas, which tracked over 40,000 people for five years, found a significant increase in asthma risk among vapers. By the end of the study, around ten in every 1,000 adults had developed asthma as a direct consequence of vaping.
Allard’s experience and the supporting research underscore the urgent need for awareness about the potential dangers of vaping, particularly among young people. His message serves as a stark reminder of the health risks associated with vaping, advocating for better education and caution among users.
