BOISE, Idaho — The outbreak of vaping-related respiratory illnesses has spread to more than 530 people across the U.S., and is blamed for seven deaths nationwide, according to the CDC.
Six of those illnesses have been reported in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare tells KTVB that three of the cases are in the Treasure Valley, and four of the cases statewide are teenagers.
Parents gathered at Boise State University Monday night to learn more about what they can do to prevent their kids from vaping, or how to help stop them from doing it. Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a pediatric professor at Stanford University, gave a vaping 101 class to parents and teenagers.
She covered several things like what e-cigarettes are, what's in them and why are teens drawn to them.
Dr. Halpern-Felsher claims the vaping industry is targeting ads towards kids. She specifically pointed out the more than 15,000 different flavors available for vape users. The flavors range from well-known - like mint or tobacco - to obscure flavors like Naked Unicorn.
Another issue raised: Are e-cigarettes healthier than smoking a regular cigarette?
“It’s hard to know, what we're learning through mouse and human studies is that vaping is different in health effects,” Halpern-Felsher said. “We don’t know about lung cancer, they haven't been on the market long enough, but we definitely know e-cigarettes cause lung and cardiovascular health issues.”
She also covered warning signs to look for if kids are hiding vape use from their parents, as well as how parents can start the conversation with their kids on their concerns.
Jenn Halladay showed up to the town hall to hear from a doctor on this topic. She said she wanted actual information from a credible source, instead of just googling the topic.
She told KTVB she has a son and daughter that go to Mountain View High School in Meridian. She said her kids were her big inspiration to learn as much as she can about vaping.
“We need to make sure he doesn't get caught up in it and protect him and give him what he needs to stay strong and focused,” she said. “It's not a good thing, and so I brought my son out here so we can learn more about it. He has lots of friends that are trying it out.”
Another parent in attendance was Brady Jones. He has a daughter in school, and he wanted her to hear about the health effects caused by vaping from an actual doctor.
“We've noticed as parents she has a lot of pressure, I guess the word is, from her peers," he said. "So, we thought an event like this would be a good way to substantiate the things we tell her, you know stay away from that stuff."
Although there are a number of ongoing studies, Dr. Halpern-Felsher said e-cigarettes haven't been around long enough to pinpoint any possible long-term health effects.
She did, however, go over some short-term effects on teenagers. She said vaping can rewire and change a teen’s brain, it will cause them to have trouble breathing, it will cause their heart to beat faster, and increase moodiness.
Parents at the event were provided a checklist on things to look out for, such as depression, moodiness, and withdrawing from the family.
One of the best things’ parents can do to help is to stay informed and communicate with their kids, Halpern-Felsher said.