In recent years, vaping has taken the UK by storm as an alternative to traditional smoking, widely promoted for its potential role in helping smokers quit. However, despite its growing popularity and regulated framework, alarming headlines and online myths have sparked fears about a rare but serious lung disease known as popcorn lung. Social media posts and sensationalised articles often suggest that vaping causes this condition, raising concerns among new and long-time users alike.

But how much of this fear is backed by science? Is there a genuine risk for people using legal vaping products in the UK? Or are we dealing with misinformation amplified by misunderstanding and outdated data?

This article takes an unbiased, fact-based look at the alleged link between vaping and popcorn lung within the UK context. Using current UK regulations, scientific studies, and statements from leading health bodies like Cancer Research UK and Public Health England, we aim to uncover the truth behind the headlines—so you can make informed decisions about your health.

Popcorn lung, medically known as bronchiolitis obliterans, is a rare and serious lung condition where small airways in the lungs become scarred and narrowed. This makes breathing difficult and leads to persistent coughing and wheezing. The condition gained public attention after workers in US popcorn factories developed it from inhaling high concentrations of a flavouring chemical called diacetyl.

In the United Kingdom, diacetyl is banned as an ingredient in e-liquids. Under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR)—which implemented the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)—manufacturers are prohibited from including harmful ingredients like diacetyl in nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

A 2016 report from Public Health England found that diacetyl levels in UK-regulated e-liquids were either undetectable or present in trace amounts that pose negligible risk. Leading UK health authorities—including Cancer Research UKand Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)—confirm that vapes sold under UK law are safe from diacetyl-related harm.

Quote from Cancer Research UK:
“E-cigarettes don’t cause the lung condition known as popcorn lung”

To date, no confirmed cases of bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung) from vaping have been reported in the UK. Despite widespread use of e-cigarettes since their introduction, public health bodies like Public Health England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have found no link between regulated vaping and this disease.

The idea that vaping causes popcorn lung is not supported by UK evidence. Thanks to strict regulation under TRPR, e-cigarettes in the UK do not contain diacetyl, the chemical linked to popcorn lung in factory settings.

The UK’s approach to vaping is one of harm reduction, not hysteria. As long as vapers use regulated products, the risk of developing popcorn lung is virtually non-existent. While vaping isn’t entirely risk-free, the popcorn lung myth does not hold up under scientific or regulatory scrutiny in the UK.