Grant: Catalyst Grant: Health Effects of Vaping

E-cigarette use among youth and adults is on the rise. 20% of young people believe that vaping is harmless. However, recent reports on lung injury caused by e-cigarette use contradicts this belief. More young people who have never smoked before are now using e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, we do not know how e-cigarette use damages the lung. This causes problems when it comes to preventing damage and long term disease associated with vaping. In this grant, we will recruit young adults who need surgery for a collapsed lung and ask them about their vaping history. Using data from this population, we aim to understand the type of damage associated with e-cigarette use. Information from this grant will allow us to plan a larger study that allows for further analysis into the type of damage vaping causes, the reasons why people vape, and the types of products they use. This research will help inform government policies that reduce the use of e-cigarettes, especially among young people.