Vaped and Enslaved

There’s something unsettling about watching grown adults (or teens) stand around the church parking lot puffing on vape pens like it’s no big deal.

Some are blasting clouds right after worship. Others sneak a quick hit before walking into small group. And I get it — most of them probably think it’s harmless. But is it?

Do we really believe that inhaling hot metal particles, industrial flavor chemicals, and formaldehyde into our lungs is “no big deal”?

Do we honestly think that this is what freedom in Christ looks like?

Because from where I’m standing, it looks more like addiction with a trendy device — and a quiet compromise that most people aren’t even questioning.

This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s a warning. Because I want you to be free.

Let’s Start with the Basics: Vape Pens Are Not Harmless

It’s not just water vapor.
That’s the first lie.

Vape pens heat a liquid into an aerosol that contains:

• Heavy metals like lead, nickel, and tin

• Formaldehyde (yes, the same thing used to embalm dead bodies)

• Acrolein, a chemical that literally kills lung tissue

• Diacetyl, used to flavor buttered popcorn and strongly linked to Popcorn Lung — a permanent, incurable condition that scars your airways and makes it hard to breathe

👉 In 2019, 17-year-old Tryston Zohfeld from Texas collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital after vaping caused sudden and complete lung failure. He had been using flavored vapes since the 8th grade, sometimes going through multiple pods a week. His lungs were so inflamed and damaged that doctors said he was days from death. He underwent a double lung transplant — one of the first vaping-related transplants ever performed in the U.S.

👉 In Pennsylvania, 15-year-old Brianne Cullen, a high school cheerleader, developed bronchiolitis obliterans — also known as Popcorn Lung — after months of using flavored vape pens. The scarring in her lungs, caused by chemicals like diacetyl, left her unable to walk up stairs without gasping for air. Once active and healthy, Brianne was left with a permanent and incurable condition after what she thought was a harmless habit.

👉 And in 2023, 22-year-old Jackson Allard of North Dakota was placed in a medically induced coma after vaping destroyed his lungs. Doctors at Henry Ford Health described his lung tissue as “completely charred and inflamed beyond repair.” His case became national news when he received a double lung transplant.

This is happening to young people. Fast.

The Long-Term Damage Is Still Being Uncovered

The CDC now warns that e-cigarette use is strongly associated with asthma, chronic bronchitis, and irreversible lung damage.

And as of 2025, over 2,800 people in the U.S. have been hospitalized with vaping-related lung injuries. Nearly 70 of them died. And we still don’t know the full long-term effects.

You’re inhaling a chemical cocktail that God never intended for your lungs. That’s not “freedom.” That’s self-destruction in disguise.

Scripture Doesn’t Say “Thou Shalt Not Vape,” But It Does Say This:

That vape pen? It’s mastering you.
It’s not helping you grow in holiness. You’re trying to manage stress, anxiety, and boredom by relying on a device instead of the Lord.

I know you didn’t mean for it to go this far. But isn’t that how compromise always works?
It sneaks in when we aren’t paying attention. It feels normal because the culture normalizes it. But as followers of Jesus, we aren’t called to be normal.

Your Witness Matters More Than You Think

You might think it doesn’t affect your witness. But trust me, it does.
Nonbelievers aren’t just watching what you say you believe. They’re watching how you live.
And when they see Christians vaping just like the rest of the world, what are we showing them?

Paul says in Philippians 2:15 that we should “shine like stars in the sky” in a crooked generation. Not blend in.

How to Start Quitting

If you’re feeling convicted right now, that’s the Holy Spirit — and that’s a good thing. But conviction without action keeps you stuck. Here's how to take a real step toward freedom:

🛑 Admit it’s a problem — not just chemically, but spiritually. This isn’t just about quitting nicotine. It’s about surrendering your body to God again.

🙏 Pray for strength — seriously. Ask God to fill the space that vaping has occupied. He wants that ground back.

🤝 Tell someone — bring a trusted friend, mentor, or pastor into it. Don’t try to white-knuckle it alone.

📵 Remove the triggers — get rid of the devices. Don’t keep them “just in case.” Cut ties with your backup plan.

🌱 Replace the habit — go for a walk. Read the Word. Find a new hobby. Take a cold shower. Retrain your nervous system to calm down without chemicals.

🧠 Expect withdrawals — and remember: discomfort is not the same thing as danger. You’re not dying. You’re healing.

💪 Decide not to be mastered — 1 Corinthians 6:12 says it plainly. Freedom isn’t found in the vape. It’s found in Christ.

What About Nicotine?

That’s a separate conversation, and we’ll talk about it in the next blog: Nicotine Isn’t the Enemy — But Most People Are Abusing It

Because context matters and nicotine isn’t the same thing as vaping. But vape pens are never a safe or God-honoring delivery method, no matter what’s inside them.

Lay the Vape Down

You are not your cravings. You are not your habits. You are not your past decisions.
You are a child of God, fully capable of honoring Him with your body, your choices, and your freedom.

Please don’t wait until your lungs are scarred and your dependence is deep.
Start now. Lay it down.
You don’t need it. You’ve already been given something far better.