A spokeswoman for the Winnebago County Health Department says the number of young people using e-cigarettes in the county mirrors what’s happening statewide.
Emily Dieringer runs re:TH!NK, a program that fights youth tobacco use. She says one in five middle and high school students statewide are using the nicotine product. She says that figure continues to go up for older students, as their access increases.
Dieringer says it’s completely different from what they saw 10, 15 or even 20 years ago with tobacco.
She says they were blindsided by the marketing, technology and the “cool-factor” of e-cigarette products. She says part of the problem is e-cigarettes don’t look like a typical cigarette.
Dieringer says they’re working with school teachers and staff to educate them, and reaching out to businesses, to make sure workers ask buyers for their ID, and keep the products behind a counter.
Link to state Department of Health Services website on e-cigarette use
