Costa Rica health officials are warning that smoking and vaping are putting younger adults at serious risk of heart attacks, with specialists from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund saying people under 40 who smoke or vape may face up to five times the risk of suffering a myocardial infarction compared with non-smokers.
The warning comes as Costa Rica marks World No Tobacco Day, observed each year on May 31, and as public health officials push back against the belief that vaping is a safe substitute for cigarettes.
Specialists say the problem is not limited to lung damage. Tobacco, nicotine and other chemicals found in cigarettes and vaping products can inflame the arteries, damage blood vessels and speed up the formation of fatty plaques. When those plaques rupture, clots can block blood flow to the heart and cause a heart attack.
The concern is especially strong for younger adults because heart attacks in this age group are often unexpected and may be missed or dismissed at first. Symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest discomfort or unusual exhaustion during routine activity can be mistaken for stress, lack of sleep or poor conditioning.
CCSS doctors have pointed to the case of a 38-year-old man who suffered a heart attack after years of tobacco use. He reportedly began smoking as a child and later tried vaping as a way to quit, but ended up using both products. By the time he sought medical care, doctors found severe arterial damage and performed an emergency catheterization.
The case has become part of a broader prevention message from the CCSS: vaping is not a harmless escape route from cigarettes. Health specialists say many users who turn to vape products as a quitting tool continue consuming nicotine, and some end up combining vaping with traditional smoking.
Cardiologists have also warned that vaping liquids contain substances that can trigger inflammation and affect both the lungs and the heart. Nicotine itself is addictive and can raise heart rate and blood pressure, placing extra strain on the cardiovascular system.
The warning is aimed in part at teenagers and young adults, a group public health officials say is being drawn toward vaping through flavors, modern device designs and the perception that electronic cigarettes are cleaner or less dangerous than tobacco.
The Pan American Health Organization has made youth nicotine use a central part of its 2026 World No Tobacco Day campaign, noting that millions of adolescents already use tobacco or e-cigarettes. PAHO has called for stronger policies to reduce the appeal of these products, including restrictions on flavors, advertising and product design.
In Costa Rica, people who want to stop smoking or vaping can seek help through CCSS cessation clinics, which offer support for nicotine dependence. Health officials say quitting without professional help can be difficult because nicotine addiction often involves physical, psychological and social habits that reinforce each other.
The CCSS message is straightforward: heart attacks are no longer a risk associated only with older adults. For young people who smoke or vape, the damage can begin quietly and much earlier than expected.
