The news about vaping is sobering:

A Pennsylvania teenager is in a medically induced coma for a severe lung illness caused by his vaping habit. The 19-year-old is connected to a heart/lung machine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where doctors said he may need a double lung transplant. The teen had quit using e-cigarettes, but started again because of their flavor and got hooked.

According to a published report, “He was coughing violently enough that he was throwing up. In the morning, he didn’t look good. His color was like gray,” his mother said. “No parent should have to walk into a hospital room and see their son having his blood sucked out of one leg with five tubes down his throat, looking dead,” his dad added.

In July, eight teens with a history of vaping were hospitalized with “seriously damaged lung” at The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

A teen in Utah was also put in a coma in August after she developed a rare lung disease possibly caused by her years of daily vaping.

As a parent, caregiver or concerned citizen, you may have heard of an increase in vaping, or e-cigarette use, among teens and young people. According to the CDC, in 2018, 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students had used e-cigarettes in the past month.

Recognizing this increase in e-cigarette use, the Lakes Region Substance Awareness Coalition will host a presentation on the subject at Lake Region High School on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

“We have seen an increase in inquiries and feedback from the community looking for accurate information on e-cigarettes, vaping, and the risks of these devices,” said Dani Mooney, LRSAC director.

The presentation is a collaborative effort with support from Lake Region High School, The Opportunity Alliance, and Portland Public Health Division.

“We have had an amazing experience collaborating with the Community Health Promotion program based out of Portland and the Lakes Region Substance Awareness Coalition,” said Maggie Thornton, principal at Lake Region High School. “Working with outside resources and the community will certainly benefit our Lake Region students.”

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive substance. If used during adolescence, nicotine exposure can impact brain development, including learning, memory and attention. The aerosol used in e-cigarette delivery systems can contain harmful substances that affect lung function.

The presentation planners are excited for the opportunity to present information on identifying devices and accessories, risks to adolescents, and what parents and caregivers can do.

“The more we inform the adults and community members, the better off our students will be,” Thornton added. “Our students deserve better, so we need to come together as a community to raise awareness.”

The presentation will be held on the same night as the Lake Region High School Open House to allow parents and guardians to attend both events.

Information on vaping and e-cigarettes can be found on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.CDC.gov/e-cigarettes.

LRSAC works to facilitate community action, create meaningful strategic partnerships, and recognize progress toward achieving community-wide prevention, treatment, policy and enforcement goals to help address substance use issues in our community. You can help! LRSAC wants to hear from you if you have an idea or a success story to share! Follow the group on Facebook at LRSACMaine, visit the website at lrsacmaine.org, send an e-mail at lrsacoalition@gmail.com, call 207-803-9987 or attend a meeting. See the website for meeting information.