See What Happened When A Vape Pen Exploded in a Teen's Face

Marty Munson 02:15 - 07 August 2024

Vape Pen Exploded in Teen's Face

Think vapes do their damage over time? Not to one a 17-year-old, who had a vape explode in his face. His case was just published in the New England Journal of Medicine by the doctors who put him back together, and the journal tweeted photos of the damage.

The exploding vape fractured his jaw down the front, forcing him to have teeth and mouth tissue removed. On the left is a visual reconstruction of his CT scan right after the injury; on the right is what it looked like six weeks later. The report says that right-hand photo indicates that he is recovering well, but it doesnt look painless.

Images in Clinical Medicine: Injury from E-Cigarette Explosion https://t.co/AcTJ0kmzCT pic.twitter.com/Zbi89KR0aR - NEJM (@NEJM) June 20, 2019

Its not the only case of exploding vapes; it's one of many, including one that killed a 24-year-old man in Texas last January. The blast happened while he was holding it in his hand, but shrapnel from it from it tore into his left carotid artery, according to reports. The US Fire Administration found that the most likely place for a vape to be when it explodes is in a pocket. The next-most likely: When the device is in use. In the worst cases, people lost body parts, got third-degree burns, had facial injuries, or in rare cases, died, like the Texas man earlier this year.

There are enough of these incidents that the FDA has an entire web page with tips to avoid vape battery explosions (not vaping is a good way to do it, by the way).

The FDA recommends:

Using devices with safety features like firing button locks, vent holes and protection against overcharging.
Keeping loose batteries in a case to keep them from coming in contact with other metal objects, like coins.
Never charge your device with a charger that didnt come with the device.
Dont charge the vape overnight.
Replace batteries if they get damaged or wet.