The number of cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping in Iowa has more than quadrupled since August. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there have been 41 cases and of those 34 reported vaping with illicit THC. The Iowa Department of Public Health advises that regardless of the ongoing investigation, e-cigarette products should not be used by youth, young adults, pregnant women, as well as adults who do not currently use tobacco products.

Sarah Smith with Prelude Behavioral Services says that the recent Iowa Youth Survey shows more teens using e-cigarette products. She says in Washington County 17% of 11th grade students have tried a regular cigarette and 43% of tried e-cigarettes, “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.”

If you do use e-cigarette products, IDPH says to monitor yourself for symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain, and seek medical attention if you have health concerns. Smith says anyone who wants to stop using tobacco or vaping products can use the resources at QuitLineIowa for help, these resources are available to teenagers, too.