The myth that e-cigarettes are safer than regular smoking has been spreading rapidly across the world, including in Lebanon. But science and real-life health outcomes are beginning to prove otherwise.
The use of e-cigarettes including vaping is often marketed as a harmless habit or a “less harmful” alternative to traditional cigarettes. Yet studies around the world are painting a much more disturbing picture. E-cigarettes can lead to serious health issues like lung disease, high blood pressure, and what doctors are now calling “popcorn lung” a condition that damages the small airways in the lungs and is still being studied.
Even though e-cigarettes have been available on the market for years, there is still no national data tracking how many people in Lebanon are using them. However, recent studies are already raising red flags.
The largest ever study linking E-cigarettes directly to chronic disease
The largest-ever study on the health impact of e-cigarettes was launched in March 2025 by Johns Hopkins Medicine. It analyzed the health records of nearly 250,000 people over four years. The study found that the use of e-cigarettes was significantly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) , a serious illness that makes it difficult to breathe.
While exclusive e-cigarette use was not clearly linked to conditions like heart failure or diabetes in the general population, adults aged 30 to 70 who vaped showed a notable increase in high blood pressure.
The study tracked people who used e-cigarettes, traditional cigarettes, both, or neither. The group who used both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes was found to have an even higher risk of multiple health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and heart failure.
“Similar to conventional smoking, growing evidence supports a strong association between e-cigarette use and the development of COPD. A recent meta-analysis reported that e-cigarette users have a 50% higher likelihood of developing COPD compared to non-users.” said Dr. Nivine Abou Dergham, Chief Resident of Internal Medicine at AUBMC and an upcoming pulmonologist.
She also warned that the long-term effects of vaping may not be fully visible yet in Lebanon’s clinical settings, adding “Many of these effects require longitudinal follow-up and may take years to become clinically apparent.”
Lebanese underage smokers accessing e-cigarettes easily
In Lebanon, a silent epidemic is already underway specifically among youth. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2022 by the World Health Organization, 18.9% of Lebanese students aged 13 to 15 currently use e-cigarettes. The numbers are higher among boys (23.8%) than girls (14.5%).
Over 74% of underage smokers had easy access to buy e-cigarettes without being stopped or asked about their age.
An increase in e-cigarettes use among Lebanese Athletes, role model trouble
At the same time, vaping is becoming increasingly normalized in Lebanon’s athletic and fitness circles. A March 2025 cross-sectional study of 563 Lebanese athletes aged 17 to 45 found that nearly one in three vaped daily. Men were more likely to vape than women.
When asked about the reasons, the study showed that it was mostly social pressure, vaping at hangouts, and coping with stress often at home or in cafés.
This normalization of vaping among athletes who are often seen as health role models is increasing. It sends a misleading message that the habit is safe, even though most of these athletes are aware of the health risks such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and addiction.
This normalization is reflected on the ground. A Lebanese gym owner says: “A lot of gym-goers, young and old, either just to lose weight or build muscle, are smoking cigarettes, IQOS, or vaping. Some even smoke just before entering the gym, which is the worst thing you can do for your lungs.”
He estimates that about 70% of serious gym members smoke, adding: “Healthy in Lebanon means ‘I work out’,not ‘I take care of my overall health.’ Smoking has become part of the image.”
This perception is now embedded in gym culture, and it’s being passed on as a trend.
“People link smoking to being adult and free. It’s become a fashion thing, being muscular with an IQOS or cigarette,” The Lebanese local gym owner explains.
The physical impact: Health vs Performance
Despite the trend, the effects on health and performance are real.
”Vaping can trigger a pro-inflammatory state in the lungs, thus exacerbating COPD and causing more cough and shortness of breath” said Dr. Firas Kreidieh, a hematologist-oncologist.
He added “ We are seeing more patients in Lebanon with lung diseases related to this pattern, particularly young people who view vaping and e-cigarettes as part of a lifestyle.”
From a fitness standpoint, the local gym owner agrees “It affects your lungs, your breathing, which affects how you workout since the level of oxygen in your system drops especially in resistance training or high intensity workouts. Also they overlook the fact that it can affect fertility in men and suppress their appetite which is bad for building muscle since it’s all about food.”
What needs to happen now
With Lebanon’s healthcare system already under pressure, and tobacco-related diseases still one of the leading causes of death, the rise of e-cigarette use adds a fresh layer of urgency.
Awareness campaigns, stronger advertising regulations, and smoke-free policies in sports venues are among the most immediate actions Lebanese authorities and health organizations can take to curb this trend before another generation inherits a deadly habit.
