It starts with a puff of sweet-smelling vapour, colourful flavours and the promise of a safer alternative to cigarettes. But for Cosmas Mwila, that promise almost ended in tragedy.
Today, the 28 year-old speaks openly about a habit that stole his education, damaged his health and nearly claimed his life.
”I never imagined that something I thought was harmless would bring me here,” Cosmas says.
“I thought I was in control, but addiction had already taken control of me.”
Born in 1997 outside wedlock, Cosmas’ childhood was marked by loss. After the death of both parents, he was raised by his aunt, who became his guardian and source of stability.
Yet beneath that care, he carried emotional wounds that would later shape many of his decisions.
At just 15 years old, he started smoking. What began as an attempt to fit in soon became an addiction. School gradually lost its importance and by Grade 9, he had dropped out.
”I thought I was grown. Looking back now, I was just a child making decisions that would follow me for years,” he reflects.
His journey took another turn when he was introduced to vaping, with its attractive flavours and modern appeal made e-cigarettes seem harmless.
”The flavours made it easy and you don’t realise you’re becoming addicted because it doesn’t feel dangerous at first,” he says.
What started as curiosity quickly became dependence. For years, vaping became part of his everyday life, silently taking a toll on both his physical and mental health.
According to Youth Life Project Executive Director Michael Nkosi, one of the biggest challenges is the misconception that vaping is safer than smoking.
”That notion should not be entertained. Young people must realise that every choice they make today has a lasting impact on their future,” he says.
For Cosmas, those consequences eventually became impossible to ignore and finally the years of addiction caught up with him, leading to liver failure. His condition became so critical that he was admitted to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital, where he spent nearly two years undergoing treatment, including surgery that ultimately saved his life.
”There were days I honestly thought I wasn’t going to make it,” he recalls.
“When you’re lying in a hospital bed wondering whether you’ll see another year, you start questioning every choice you’ve ever made.”
Many expected that surviving such an ordeal would mark the end of his addiction. It didn’t.
Less than a year after leaving hospital, Cosmas returned to smoking.
”I knew what it had done to me, and I still went back. That’s when I realised addiction isn’t just physical. It affects your mind, your decisions and the way you see yourself.”
The cycle continued until 2021, when his family refused to watch him destroy himself any longer. They took him to a rehabilitation centre, a decision he now describes as the turning point of his life.
”At first I thought everyone was against me. Later I realised they were fighting for me when I had stopped fighting for myself.”
With counselling, rehabilitation and the unwavering support of his loved ones, Cosmas slowly rebuilt his life.
Today, he lives with his brother and sisters, whose encouragement continues to strengthen his recovery.
Standing as living proof that addiction can destroy lives but that healing is possible he now has one message for others.
”My life is a testament to what addiction can do to you. Seek help before it’s too late.”
Health experts warn that Cosmas’ story is becoming increasingly common.
Chainama Hills Hospital Spokesperson Dr. George Tafuna, said that peer pressure and curiosity remain among the leading reasons young people experiment with vaping.
”People often feel compelled to fit in with their friends or social groups, while others are curious to experience new trends,” he explains.
Dr. Tafuna says behavioural modification therapy, counselling and other psychological interventions help individuals understand the causes of their addiction, develop healthier coping mechanisms and gradually break free from harmful habits.
The rise in vaping among school-going children is equally worrying. Flavoured products such as mint, strawberry and orange, together with sleek designs that resemble toys or electronic gadgets, make e-cigarettes easy to hide and attractive to young users.
The 2021 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted by Zambia’s Ministry of Health, found that of the 6,499 learners in Grades Seven to Nine who participated in the survey, 16.3 percent reported exposure to e-cigarettes. The survey also revealed that 15.4 percent of boys and 16.6 percent of girls had been exposed to vaping products.
For many young people, vaping may appear fashionable, harmless and modern.
But behind every cloud of flavoured vapour could be a story like Cosmas Mwila’s a story of addiction, regret and a second chance.
His journey serves as a powerful reminder that vaping is just not about blowing flavoured clouds rather it is about the silent damage that those clouds may cause to young lungs, young minds and young futures.