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Dangers of vaping emphasized

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
This display of vaping products, includes one disguised as a watch. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Iao Intermediate School students listen to Friday’s sobering presentation about the dangers of youth vaping and the increasing numbers. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Keynote speaker Bonnie Helpern-Felsher outlines a few of the many negative impacts of vaping during a Friday symposium at Kamehameha Schools Maui titled “Clearing the Cloud: Maui County’s Youth Vaping Epidemic.” It is estimated that 18 percent of Maui County middle-schoolers and 39 percent of high-schoolers are vaping. Youths who try vaping are four times more likely to become addicted than adults who try. Helpern-Felsher, who is a professor at Stanford University, said flavored vaping products like Juul target young people and use salt-based nicotine to addict them and make them customers for life. She said there are currently 15,500 different vaping flavors available and many are marketed to attract youths. For more information, go to the websites tobaccopreventiontoolkit.stanford.edu, mylifemyquit.com and flavorshookkidshi.org.

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