'Electronic Cigarette Addiction' 15-Year-Old American Boy Taken to ER...Even Black Urine Appears

Excessive E-cigarette Use Risks Dehydration
Contains Substances That Block Body's Water Absorption

At the Seoul Metro Museum located in Gyeongbokgung Station of Jongno-gu subway in 2022, an exhibition of records of South Korea's anti-smoking advertisements was held, displaying materials including anti-smoking advertisements conducted over the past 20 years. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

A US teenager addicted to electronic cigarettes suddenly showed symptoms of dehydration and was rushed to the emergency room, drawing attention. During this process, he was also reported to have passed black urine.

On the 19th (local time), foreign media including the UK Daily Mail reported the story of 15-year-old Jake Melton, who lives in Arkansas, USA. Melton recently felt unwell and visited the school nurse's office before being transferred to the emergency room.

On that day, Melton reportedly experienced typical dehydration symptoms from the way to school. He showed severe dizziness, nausea, and eye redness. He also felt pain throughout his entire body. The medical staff at the school nurse's office commented on Melton's condition, saying it "looked like he was intoxicated by drugs," and immediately contacted his mother before transferring Melton to the hospital.

After arriving at the emergency room, Melton lost consciousness. Subsequent examinations by doctors diagnosed him with dehydration and warned of the risk of kidney damage due to this. Surprisingly, the cause of Melton's dehydration symptoms was "electronic cigarette use."

The Daily Mail explained, "Electronic cigarettes contain a liquid with propylene glycol, a substance that attracts and retains water molecules in the body," adding, "This substance can block water absorption in the body and cause dehydration." In other words, excessive use of electronic cigarettes prevented Melton's body from properly absorbing fluids in time.

While unconscious, Melton also passed black urine. His mother, Meloni, posted on Facebook, "My son is currently working part-time. Instead of eating and hydrating during work hours, it seems he was vaping electronic cigarettes," and added, "I thought I was controlling him well, but I was wrong."

Meloni also posted a warning to other parents with children who use electronic cigarettes. She said, "I am afraid my son might lose his life. From now on, I will dispose of all electronic cigarettes I find," and urged, "I hope our son's case spreads widely so that parents can refer to it when taking care of their children."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.