“A 24-year-old was rushed into the hospital last week, gasping for air. He’s not a smoker, no asthma history. But…He vapes heavily.

“His friends thought he was having a panic attack. He wasn’t. His lungs were severely damaged. The hospital told us that he thought vaping was just “flavoured water vapour” and a safe alternative to cigarettes.

“This is a dangerous lie that has become popular in lounges from Lekki to Abuja. Let me be clear: It is NOT water vapour. It’s an aerosol filled with tiny, harmful particles.

“That clean water in a shisha pipe is not your friend either. It doesn’t filter out the cancer causing substances; it just cools the smoke, which is even more dangerous because it allows you to inhale deeper and hold more poison in your lungs for longer.

“That young man is now fighting for his life. We only pray that the damage is not so bad that the only option left is a lung transplant.

“Your lungs are designed for one thing: breathing AIR. They are not an exhaust pipe. The only things you should be inhaling are air and prescribed medications. Full stop.

“Emeka, Nkechi, that posh shisha and vape lifestyle is a fast track to the emergency room. It is the same wahala as smoking, just in a different, more expensive package.

“Don’t let trends deceive you into destroying the only set of lungs you have. Please.” He admonishes.