Learning English

Vaping: safety questions after British teen nearly dies

A British teenager has survived a life-threatening condition after six months of vaping.
19-year-old Ewan Fisher was unable to breathe as a result of inhaling e-cigarettes.

Language challenge

Which phrasal verb means ‘start doing something regularly’?

a) take off
b) take up
c) take over

Watch the video and complete the activity

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The story

A teenage boy who almost died after using e-cigarettes has urged people not to take up vaping.

Doctors say Ewan Fisher, who’s 19 and from Nottingham, suffered a catastrophic reaction in his lungs that left him unable to breathe.

Health officials said vaping was not risk-free, but was still better than smoking.

Professor John Britton from the UK Centre for Alcohol and Tobacco Studies says it’s a difficult issue.

Key words and phrases

vaping
using electronic smoking devices

• He gave up smoking and took up vaping.
• Some say vaping is not as bad for your health as smoking.

triggered
caused something to happen

• The excessive rainfall triggered flooding.
• The heatwave triggered forest fires.

at your peril
at your own risk

• Walk on the train tracks at your peril.
• Steal Rob’s last biscuit at your peril!

To do

Try our quiz to see how well you've learned today's language.

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Language challenge answer

b) take up

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