LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New data from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center reveals an uptick in vaping-related visits to Kentucky emergency rooms among teens and young adults.
What You Need To Know
- A recent report details a rising number of visits for e-cigarette dependence in Kentucky emergency rooms
- It found a sharp rise in visits by minors between 2018 and 2024
- Other age groups saw an increase as well
Released earlier this month, the report took a deep dive into emergency room visits between 2018 and 2024.
KIPRC found electronic cigarette dependence in minors rose nine-fold during that time frame. Visits also rose for adults during that time frame.
The report found dependence-related visits by women surpassed men for the first time last year.
“With the advent of these products, you’re seeing a whole new generation of youth addicted to nicotine-containing products. And that’s going to have lasting health consequences,” said Dr. Scott Bickel, a pediatric pulmonologist at Norton Children’s Hospital.
Bickel said he’s seen a rise in young people vaping, some even as young as middle schoolers.
Dr. Scott Bickel, a pediatric pulmonologist at Norton Children’s Hospital, said he’s seen a rise in young people vaping, some even as young as middle schoolers. (Spectrum News 1/Mason Brighton)
“We see it impacting things like asthma, so making if they’ve already had asthma, makes their symptoms a lot worse. We also see patients who have never had asthma, but start using these products and start having chronic cough, shortness of breath, things like that,” Bickel said.
Bickel offers this advice to parents about talking with their children about vaping.
“If you think that your child’s vaping or using these products, it’s important to have a discussion with them, not in anger, but to sit down, understand why they’re using it, what they understand about it and how they can work together as a team to get them off that,” he said.
In the latest State of Tobacco Control from the American Lung Association, health care costs from smoking are close to $2 billion a year, with high school smoking rates higher than 22%.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds roughly 1.6 million middle and high school students vape, with around one in four who report using an e-cigarette daily.
Norton Children’s does have resources available for helping teens quit vaping. That includes free weekly classes for 14-to 17-year-olds.
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