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Electronic cigarette and vaping use is on the rise in teenagers. Sarah Smith with Prelude Behavioral Services says the Iowa Youth Survey shows that 43% of 11th graders in Washington County have tried e-cigarettes compared to 17% who have tried a regular cigarette, “Teenagers typically are not smoking cigarettes now a days, they’ve gotten those warnings, and then they’ve gotten messages from vaping companies themselves that say vaping is harmless. We now see that, you know, it’s not and there’s definitely dangers that aren’t taking 20 to 30 years to develop. These are kids who probably have been doing it for, I don’t know, a few years maybe because they haven’t been around for that long.”

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced that Iowa has had four cases of patients in their early to mid-20’s who report vaping before falling ill with respiratory issues and some have needed intensive care. Smith says this is with both nicotine and THC products across the country with 193 potential cases in 22 different states, including one patient in Illinois who died. IDPH advises, people with a history of vaping who are experiencing breathing problems should seek medical care.

Smith says anyone who wants to stop using tobacco or vaping products can use the resources at Quitline Iowa for help, these resources are available for teenagers, too.