Health authorities in the Quad Cities are trying to spread the word about the dangers of vaping. The Tobacco Free QC coalition has published a resource guide that's available to schools, parents, or anyone might consider vaping.
Janet Hill, Chief Operating Officer of the Rock Island County Health Department, says we still don't know what's in these products.
"What we know for sure is that vaping is not harmless, and it does have known carcinogens in the vape. And there's a lot of different information out there right now about what is in it, but the bottom line is we don't know exactly what's in it."
She says so far there have been 173 cases in Illinois of lung injuries linked to vaping, including 3 deaths. In Iowa so far, total cases are 46, but no deaths have been reported.
Kim Mills is the Community Tobacco Consultant for the Scott County Health Department, and she says vaping is widespread in the Quad Cities, especially among young people.
"I hear from schools all the time that they're dealing with the issue and having a hard time getting a handle on it. Because, of course, when students are vaping in the schools, you can't smell it like you would with traditional tobacco products. So it's hard to catch them, if they go to the bathroom or the teacher has their back turned."
Mills says a recent survey showed 22% of 11th graders in Iowa reported vaping, 8% of eighth graders and more than 2% of sixth graders.
