Can vaping damage your lungs? What we do (and don't) know Harvard Health Risks Of Vaping A Chemical Found In Vape Flavors Linked To Irreversible Condition Called 'Popcorn Lung' Small Joys Popcorn Lung From Vaping Marijuana Australia Popcorn lung. Vaping lung injury. Let's stop confusing the two. Popcorn lung is the lazy name for bronchiolitis obliteransa disease of the small airways, not the alveoli. It got its name from Experts show that flavored e cigarettes cause irreversible lung damage. A U.S. teen developed "popcorn lung" after secretly vaping for 3 years a permanent, life altering disease. Officially known as bronchiolitis obliterans, the Vaping: Safe? Or Are Your Lungs Going Up In Smoke?