Experts Have a Warning For Kentucky's Youth About Vaping Dangers

Kentucky and the rest of the nation are wrestling with the huge popularity of electronic cigarettes among youth. A survey by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky found the number of youth who use e-cigarettes, an activity referred to as vaping, doubled from 2016 through 2018 for sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th graders. Research has found many non-smoking youth who use e-cigarettes are more likely to later turn to traditional cigarettes when compared to teens who didn't vape. Jefferson County Public Schools launched an awareness campaign on the issue, and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell recently introduced a bill to raise the national minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. WFPL's Rick Howlett talked to Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky President Ben Chandler and Dr. Daniel Conklin of the University of Louisville School of Medicine about the topic and how vaping affects Kentucky's youth.