Vaper Severely Injured When His E-Cigarette Blows Up In His Face, Creating A New Hole In His Mouth

There’s a lot of fuss about whether or not vaping is safer than smoking. We’ve posted like four articles on the subject in the past year here at BroBible (here, here, here, and here). It’s a contentious subject with no clear answers. The only conclusion is that both have their inherent risks that all users should be aware of.

The story of 23-year-old James Lauria is an awful one, however. According to Fox 5 DC, he was casually vaping when his e-cigarette device exploded in his face.

“It’s just a normal day,” explained James. “I’m at work and things quieted down and I stepped away for a second like I always do. Next thing I know, it exploded and I was on my way to a hospital in an ambulance, and that is the last thing I remember.”

James’ injuries were so severe he was airlifted to the University of Alabama’s burn unit, where he spent a week in the ICU.

We’re not just talking about a couple of burns here. We’re talking about a hole burnt completely through his pallet, putting him on a breathing tube:

“He had burns to his hand and a fractured neck and finger, and burns to his cornea,” said Ed Lauria. “It blew a hole through his pallet and at the same time, flames went down and he got first-degree burns on his chest and up on his face. It forced his front tooth up into his gum- out of sight -and chipped the other one and damaged a few other lower teeth.”

His mother was severely traumatized as well.

“It hurt to see him with a tube and all,” claimed Beth. “He was restrained but they sedated him. Just to see him go through it was tough.” And so with a long road of recovery still ahead, the Lauria family wants to warn others.

Fox 5 reports that he is forced to talk with a lisp after having a “dime-sized hole that was blown open in the roof of his mouth.” Oof.

Terrifying. And awful. And tragic. Vape safely out there Bros. Or just don’t vape at all. Because you never know when that fancy faux smoking device might literally blow up in your face.

And maybe send this article to your friend Chad who won’t shut up about vaping as a heads-up?

[H/T: Uproxx]

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com