Inhale this: What does vaping do to your lungs? The Mysterious Vaping Illness That's 'Becoming an Epidemic' The New York Times Smoking cigarettes has long been proven to cause severe lung damage, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and lung cancer. Over time, cigarette smoke destroys lung tissue, fills airways with tar, Young vapers at higher risk of bronchitis and shortness of breath Scimex Ask an Expert Youth Vaping: What You Need to Know