Selena Gomez stated on her Instagram Stories that heavy nicotine vaping changed her voice, sharing her struggle to quit with followers. The singer, actor, and Rare Beauty founder addressed online discussions regarding the shifting sound of her vocal delivery over recent years.
Selena Gomez Addresses Voice Changes on Instagram Stories
Gomez, 34, posted a video addressing public commentary about her voice. She admitted to heavy nicotine use and offered a blunt warning to anyone considering e-cigarettes.
“I’m not going to be able to change my voice. I vaped nicotine a lot,” Gomez said in the video. She added that nicotine is extremely difficult to quit and urged fans to avoid starting, calling the habit “so stupid” and confirming it changed her voice.
The roughly one-minute video was shared on Sunday. Gomez acknowledged that some fans might dislike the sound of her voice now, telling them they were free to tune out. She did not specify how long she vaped or the exact timeline of when she stopped.
Health Experts Link Vaping Chemicals to Upper Airway Irritation
While Gomez pointed to nicotine as the cause of her vocal changes, medical professionals emphasize that e-cigarettes introduce numerous other risks to the respiratory system. Dilini Vethanayagam, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta, told CBC News that vape smoke contains chemicals that affect airways. Breathing is what our respiratory passages are meant for, rather than having various external substances introduced into them.
Dr. Candace Hrelec, a laryngologist and ear, nose and throat specialist, explained that inhaled smoke passes directly over the vocal cords, which act as the gateway to the lungs. Any chemical that you inhale can lead to irritation, sore throat and increased mucus and cough.
Beyond vocal impacts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that vapes carry risks of asthma, lung scarring, and other organ damage. Across all 50 states, the CDC documented a total of 2,807 hospital admissions connected to e‑cigarette or vaping use‑associated lung injury, alongside 68 fatalities, by the month of February in 2020.
Gomez discusses medical challenges and advocates for regulations
Gomez has a documented history of transparently discussing her medical challenges. She underwent a kidney procedure in 2017 involving a transplant and openly discussed her bipolar disorder diagnosis within her 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. During an Instagram Live session last year, she mentioned that her throat sometimes swells inside, though she did not mention vaping at that time.
While Vethanayagam pointed out that investigators are still examining the long-term consequences of vaping on health, various medical hazards including lung injury have already been established. Public health advocates continue pushing for stricter regulations on sales and marketing, particularly concerning youth consumption. In the United States, youth vaping surged to a peak of 20% in 2019 before falling to 5.9% by 2024. In spite of ongoing pledges made by the federal administration in Canada over the past five years regarding a ban on flavored vapes, the measure has yet to be implemented.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vaping and Vocal Health
Can vaping change your voice?
Medical specialists note that smoke from tobacco products contains chemicals that can irritate vocal cords. Any chemical that you inhale can lead to irritation, sore throat and increased mucus and cough.
What specific health risks are associated with e-cigarettes?
According to the CDC and clinical health data, vaping increases the risk of asthma, lung scarring, and other organ damage, while delivering addictive nicotine that poses unique dangers to youth because their brains are still developing.
How long did Selena Gomez vape?
Gomez did not specify when and for how long she’d been vaping. She noted that she stopped and hopes she can keep it up.
What is the status of flavored vape restrictions in Canada?
The federal government has promised for five years now to ban flavoured vapes. But it still hasn’t done so.
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