Vaping Could Make You 40 Percent More Likely to Get Respiratory Disease The Brink Boston University National Emphysema Foundation E cigarettes and Vaping Just As Bad On Lung Health As Cigarettes 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, E cigarette or Vaping Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) American Lung Association