Woman’s Final Words Revealed After Lung Failure Linked to Vaping Habit

A 30-year-old woman from the Dominican Republic used her final moments to warn others about the dangers of vaping, sharing a message that has since gone viral across Latin America. Escarlen De los Santos, who developed respiratory failure linked to prolonged vape and hookah use, recorded a video from her hospital bed in which she urged her followers: “Leave that stuff alone, look at me now.” She passed away shortly after, her last words serving as a powerful plea to avoid the habit that devastated her health.

Medical professionals in Los Hatillos connected her deteriorating condition to her vaping habit, noting severe pulmonary complications that led to respiratory failure. Despite her illness, De los Santos remained committed to raising awareness, sharing a series of videos in her final days that showed her struggling to breathe while pleading with her generation to abandon vaping and hookahs. In one recording, she stated, “I don’t want anyone else to go through this physical torment,” emphasizing the internal damage she believed vaping caused.

Her story adds to growing concerns about the health risks associated with vaping, particularly among young adults who begin the habit early. Similar cases have emerged globally, including that of a 22-year-old woman in the United Kingdom who started vaping at age 15 and was later diagnosed with lung cancer, given just 18 months to live after the disease returned in her pleural lining. She, too, has become an advocate for anti-vaping awareness, citing repeated dismissals by doctors who initially mistook her symptoms for a chest infection before confirming cancer through multiple biopsies.

Health experts continue to warn that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking, with evidence linking it to lung inflammation, respiratory failure, and an increased risk of cancer. Public health officials stress the importance of avoiding nicotine products, especially among youth, and encourage individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms to seek medical evaluation promptly.