Popcorn lung: Causes, symptoms, and treatment 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 Do Geek Bars Have Diacetyl? EightVape Debunking the myth: There's no link between vaping and popcorn lung It's official. Flavored e cigarettes cause permanent lung damage. And doctors are already seeing it happen. In the United States, a teenager developed something called popcorn lung after secretly vaping for three years.