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“I Just Didn’t Know”: Anti-Vaping Campaign Hopes To Make A Difference

Posted at 2:47 PM, Apr 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-23 17:46:31-04

(LEX 18)– When it comes to tobacco use, Kentucky ranks higher than the national average. Vaping is also on the rise in Kentucky and one group is taking action.

Medical experts say that some e-cigarettes, or vapes, has the same amount of nicotine as a pack of 20 tobacco cigarettes.

When talking about how addictive vaping is, many people say, “I just didn’t know” so the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky launched the “I Just Didn’t Know” Campaign.

“The biggest problem is that kids think vapes or e-cigarettes are safe for them to use, and that’s absolutely not the case. They’re chock full of nicotine. They’re chock full of carcinogens, heavy metals, and other chemicals that are dangerous for youth,” said Bonnie Hackbarth with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Statistics show that one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students are vaping. In Kentucky, experts think that statistic is even higher.

“As a fifth and sixth-grade teacher, I was shocked to see that it happened in my school,” said a Clark County middle school teacher, one of the people featured in the anti-vaping campaign.

Learn more about the “I Just Didn’t Know” Campaign here.

MGN