15-year-old suffers brain damage after vaping drug-laced e-cigarette

Nguyen Trung Nguyen, director of the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai Hospital, on Oct. 24 said the teen was admitted 10 days earlier with muscle rigidity and full-body seizures. His family said he had been vaping for over a year and recently tried a new oil cartridge advertised on social media as "containing cannabis."

Tests later revealed the cartridge contained 5F-ADB, a highly potent synthetic cannabinoid banned in many countries.

"This chemical has complex toxicity that attacks the nervous system, heart and internal organs, often in ways that deceive both patients and doctors," Nguyen said. He warned that repeated use could lead to death or long-term organ and mental damage.

MRI scans showed the boy's white matter was damaged in both brain hemispheres. He also suffered mild kidney failure, pulmonary hypertension and heart enlargement, along with signs of depression, paranoia and schizophrenia-like symptoms. After 10 days of treatment, he was transferred to the National Institute of Mental Health for further care.

Vietnam has banned the production, trade, and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, but enforcement remains weak. The Ministry of Health has proposed fines of up to VND10 million (US$400) for using or allowing the use of e-cigarettes in private properties.