Health Risks of Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping: A Pulmonology Perspective

Electronic cigarettes have gained popularity worldwide, particularly among adolescents and young adults, raising serious concerns regarding their pulmonary health impacts. In Latin America, where regulatory responses differ across countries, Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador provide a valuable context to examine vaping behaviors, respiratory risks, and policy frameworks. This study evaluated prevalence, usage patterns, respiratory outcomes, risk perceptions, and device preferences through a cross-sectional design with stratified random sampling of 3,000 participants (Mexico: 1,200; Colombia: 1,000; Ecuador: 800). Data were collected through validated questionnaires and complemented with secondary sources from WHO, PAHO, and national health surveys. Results showed that e-cigarette use was most frequent in individuals aged 15–24 years, with Mexico reporting the highest prevalence (28%), followed by Colombia (24%) and Ecuador (18%). Users reported higher rates of cough (42% vs. 15%), wheezing (28% vs. 9%), and dyspnea (35% vs. 12%), as well as increased medical consultations (30% vs. 10%) and hospitalizations (12% vs. 3%) compared with non-users. Misperceptions of reduced harm were more common among participants with lower education, while pods and disposables dominated device preferences, often with medium-to-high nicotine concentrations. These findings confirm the association of vaping with respiratory morbidity, misperceptions of safety, and rising dependence on high-nicotine devices. Pulmonologists and policymakers in Latin America must prioritize prevention, accurate risk communication, and enforcement of comprehensive regulations to protect vulnerable populations, especially adolescents and young adults, from the long-term burden of vaping-related lung disease.