Labuan teen hospitalised for suspected vaping-linked illness

LABUAN: A teenager has been warded at the Labuan Nucleus Hospital for severe internal lung damage, suspected to have been caused by vaping – making it the first such case reported here.

In a statement to Bernama yesterday, Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said a thorough investigation was being carried out to determine the actual cause of the 17-year-old boy’s lung complications.

“The boy was admitted on Nov 4 initially due to breathing difficulties. He is actually an asthmatic and has received asthma treatment in the internal care unit (ICU).

“However when he was in the ICU, he was diagnosed with having internal lung injuries besides symptoms of rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure,” he said.

Dr Ismuni said investigations showed that the boy had been vaping for two weeks before he was admitted to the ICU.

“Our investigations also revealed that the boy was not only suffering from severe internal lung injuries, but could also be due to autoimmune disease caused by chemical exposure or vaping,” he said. — Bernama