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Indiana Governor, health department announces plan to combat teen vaping

Officials say, in 2018, 21-percent of high school students across the country said they used e-cigarettes.

FISHERS, Ind. (WTHR) - Citing a more than 300 percent increase in usage since 2012, Indiana's Department of Health announced a strategy Thursday to reduce vaping by Indiana children.

A 2018 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey was used in the announcement, as was a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that linked vaping to at least 200 severe respiratory illnesses nationwide.

24 of those cases were Hoosiers.

In a program Thursday at Fishers High School, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb joined Health Commissioner Kris Box, MD, to share the data and a three-pronged response plan:

  • An "educational toolkit" for schools, parents, and students
  • A youth-focused text-to-quit program
  • A statewide vaping public awareness campaign focusing on prevention and cessation.

“The number of new young Hoosiers vaping is alarming, and that’s why today’s announcement is critical to the health of our people,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Under Dr. Box’s leadership, we will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to curb youth vaping by educating the public on health risks so that fewer youth start using e-cigarettes, while also providing resources to those who want to quit.”

The U.S. Surgeon General called e-cigarette use among children an epidemic in a recent call for action.

“Vaping among Indiana’s youth is at an all-time high, and that’s putting thousands of Hoosiers in harm’s way of this epidemic,” Dr. Box said. “Many young people think vaping is harmless, but one e-cigarette can contain the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. As the number of hospitalizations rises, it’s clear that we need to help youth and parents better understand the health risks of these products before they become the next generation of smokers.”

Learn more about the dangers of vaping and ways to protect children here.

RELATED:

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CDC: 11 Hoosiers with history of vaping have lung illnesses

Ind. senator co-sponsors bill prohibiting sales of tobacco, e-cigarettes to anyone under 21

Indiana medical providers urged to report vaping illnesses

Authorities: Indiana man upset about vaping cracked brother's skull

 FDA funds e-cigarette research at University of Louisville

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