Funeral held for Orlando man whose death is blamed on vaping

An Orlando man, believed by doctors to have died from vaping, was laid to rest on Friday. The family of 28-year-old Kyle Boyd are vowing to get the word out about the dangers of vaping. 

ORLANDO, Fla. - Family and friends gathered Friday afternoon to say goodbye and celebrate the life of 28-year-old Kyle Boyd. Before walking into the church, his father stopped to talk to FOX 35 News, vowing to get the word out about the dangers of vaping.

“Numerous family members had had conversations with him about quitting. He was going through some stressful times with going through a divorce and changing jobs and the vaping seemed to become his habit,” Donald Boyd told FOX 35.

Until his son’s death, he says neither Kyle nor their family understood the dangers of vaping.

“I think that we all, even as a parent, think it's safer than smoking,” Donald said.

According to preliminary lab reports, vaping induced lung injury caused pneumonia. His family said Kyle went from healthy to unresponsive overnight.

“His mother found him that morning with the vaping pen in his bed with him. This is the addiction nicotine has on you,” Donald explained.

Certified addictions professional Lui Delgado says vaping addiction is real.

“High levels of nicotine and quitting nicotine is one of the hardest things to quit. It was harder for me to quit that than cocaine,” Delgado explained.

Kicking a vaping habit is often times harder than quitting cigarettes for his patients.

“With cigarettes, it's ‘Oh it stinks’. Nobody lets you do it. You have to go outside. There's only certain areas you can do it. With vaping you can sneak it just about anywhere. People don't really know you're doing it,” Delgado said.

In Delgado’s experience, he says people who vape tend to vape often.

“A little puff and off you go, little puff and off you go. Every little split-second gives you a second to use. So you get very accustomed to that, not only physiologically in your brain but also behaviorally.

Delgado says with nicotine, the physical addiction is temporary that it’s the psychological aspect of vaping that is harder to shake.

“I still think that people don't think it’s dangerous,” Delgado said