Selena Gomez disclosed in a video on Sunday that vaping had altered her voice, addressing ongoing discussions about her vocal changes. The U.S. singer, actress, and Rare Beauty cosmetics line founder admitted to heavy nicotine vaping in a now-deleted Instagram stories post.
Explaining her experience, Gomez, 34, emphasized the challenges of quitting nicotine and advised against vaping, highlighting its detrimental effects. She humorously acknowledged the impact on her voice, encouraging those who find it unpleasant to refrain from listening.
While not specifying the duration of her vaping habit, Gomez expressed her struggle to quit and offered support to others facing similar challenges.
Gomez has been candid about her health battles, revealing a lupus diagnosis in 2015, a condition that has affected her vocal cords. Additionally, she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 and addressed her bipolar disorder diagnosis in the 2022 documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.”
Health experts underscore the broader risks associated with vaping, emphasizing its potential harm beyond nicotine addiction. Dilini Vethanayagam, a University of Alberta medicine professor, highlighted the lack of large-scale clinical trials on vaping’s direct impact on vocal cords but noted the diverse chemicals in vape smoke could affect airways and vocal cords.
Health Canada has identified over 1,500 unique chemicals in vaping products, with ongoing studies exploring long-term health implications such as lung damage. The need for stricter regulations on vaping sales and usage is emphasized to address the emerging epidemic, with calls for public figures like Gomez to raise awareness on the dangers of vaping.
Efforts to restrict vaping flavors in Canada have been discussed for years, aiming to curb youth usage. Advocates are pushing for legislative actions to limit access to tobacco products, including vapes, among young individuals.