(upbeat music) - We're still learning about the effects that vaping has on the body.

Many health experts agree that while vaping is less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes, we don't yet know about all the chemicals in e-cigarettes.

That's especially concerning when vaping is on the rise in younger teens and middle school students.

Tonight we're talking about the health education specialist and a state senator about the fight to stop our kids from vaping.

But first, our Phil Luciano shows us some vaping products that some kids use to prevent being caught.

- [Phil] These are not highlighters.

They're vape pens.

The manufacturer is High Light Vape.

(upbeat music) Last year, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about e-cigarettes that resemble products that appeal to young people.

These included toys, food products, and water bottles.

Vape pens are also sometimes disguised as USB drives, smartphone cases, and smart watches.

- Joining us now is Jessica Johnson, health education specialist with the Hult Center for Healthy Living in Peoria.

Thanks for being here.

- Of course.

Now, I know you're on the ground a lot.

You actually get out and you talk to kids and teens about the dangers of vaping.

What are you seeing out there in terms of vape usage in our area?

- Yes, definitely.

We do get out in the community and we teach at local schools, and kids come to us for field trips as well to talk about substance use prevention and vaping.

We always include in our education, whether it's a program specifically on vaping or not.

And when we get invited to health and resource fairs at high schools, that's always a hot topic that they want us to address.

We do have schools reaching out to us too.

Just this year, it became more common for schools across the Tri-County area, Woodford, Tazewell, Peoria, reaching out to us, asking, "Can you help us?

So many students are picking up vaping, trying it, doing it at school.

What do we do?"

So we actually worked really hard this year to come up with a vaping resource guide.

So we have a comprehensive resource guide that provides a lot of different avenues to provide education, both for all students, for students at risk, and for students that are actually getting caught.

So instead of just suspending them or getting them in trouble, how can we actually help these youth, these young people?

Because these products have been made to become extremely addictive.

Really, the young people are victims of heavy marketing and just all sorts of tactics to get them to try these products.

So we've been a lot.

We've been educating the students, but also trying to work with the schools to create a culture where they can help their own students.

- We just saw a story from my colleague Phil Luciano about how a lot of the vape makers are now making their vapes look like USB drives or everyday household items.

Are we seeing that here?

- Yes.

So vaping devices...

There's a lot of sling terms, so e-cigarettes, vaping, JUULs, Elf Bars, it kinda gets into brand names too.

Everyone calls 'em something different.

But yes, they can look like all sorts of things.

So some look like regular cigarettes, some look like USB drives, some look like something entirely different.

So they definitely look like a lot of different things, and the newer ones too have actually been made to be even stronger than even JUUL.

The nicotine content and JUUL is equivalent to almost two packs of cigarettes, but the nicotine content in some of the newer products could be equal to 15 to 30 packs of cigarettes, which kids go through those or people go through them in about two days to two weeks.

So whatever they look like, they're trying to make 'em appealing, attractive with the flavors and everything else, but they're just being made to be even more highly addictive.

- When you talk to these kids, do you get a sense of if they realize that e-cigarettes and vaping is just as addictive as regular cigarettes, or do they think it's just a thing?

- That's a, a good question.

So I think whenever I teach, I always get a sense of awe.

Well, definitely from the kids, but sometimes even from the teachers or adults in the room, because a lot of what I talk about, they may not even realize.

The marketing tactics are tricky.

The promotions try and say, "We're doing the world a favor, trying to eliminate cigarettes, and it's like a harmless water vapor," when that's not true at all.

What's being produced is a liquid that's heated up to the point where it's an aerosol, which leaves all sorts of chemicals behind in the lungs.

Other people are breathing in, and it's not harmless.

So I have different demonstrations I'll do and different slides to show people to really get the point across that these are not harmless products.

These are not simple just flavors, and I think there are definitely some key points throughout the presentation where students are shocked, and they... We always provide at the end some quitting resources and everything else.

We never ask anyone to say whether they vaped or not or, and invade on privacy.

But I have had students come up to me, and say, "I tried once.

I just thought I'd try it once, but I felt myself wanting more, like immediately."

So these products have been made to be so addictive that people are craving them even after their first puff, their first time using it.

So it's really an eyeopener, and we do try and help the students before they try 'em, but the ultimate reality is many of them may already have.

- Have you seen... What is regular tobacco use?

And when I say regular tobacco cigarette use, has that decreased among the youth in this area?

- So, definitely I would say nationwide even, not even just this area.

Youth are using cigarettes more.

So that kind of gets into this whole making money.

So cigarette companies, they know that there are adult smokers.

They're not going to live forever, and the younger people just weren't picking up cigarettes as much.

So they started reinventing themselves.

When e-cigarettes came about, they started either becoming e-cigarette companies or investing a lot of money into them.

There is evidence of that, of all sorts of financial ties and affiliations.

And then what they're doing is they're trying to create a new generation of people dependent on nicotine so that they can keep bringing in the money.

So it is a good thing that you stop smoking cigarettes.

For the most part, it's a lot lower, but the unfortunate reality is now they're picking up these highly addictive devices, in many cases, even more addictive than traditional cigarettes.

And that's their first exposure to any nicotine at all, which is really scary, and there is evidence piling up that e-cigarette use in the younger years could lead to eventual cigarette use, and health risks even increase when people end up using two different tobacco products.

So that's even more concerning too.

- What do you think?

We were talking earlier before we went on the air, of course, the law went into effect in '08 that banned cigarettes, indoor use in public places.

And now, as of this year, e-cigarettes are banned indoor.

Do you think that's gonna make a big difference or has it made a big difference?

- So, yes, that's something.

I work with a regional team with Woodford, Tazewell, and Peoria County Health Departments to address tobacco policies such as that.

And encouraging places to be very inclusive.

When we say smoke-free, let's make it tobacco-free.

Let's include e-cigarettes, vapes, chewing tobacco for outdoor spaces and indoor spaces.

So we were very excited that the law did change in Illinois to include e-cigarette use in the definition of smoking.

So that went into effect as of January 1. you'll start seeing new signages, like a window clings, for example, on businesses that make it very clear, e-cigarettes are not allowed indoors.

At this point, it is more so of an educational time since it is still within the first few months.

But just anecdotally, I have heard people just seeing less e-cigarette use indoors than maybe they were seeing in years past.

So we'll see how that pans out, but I say it's only a good thing because other people can be affected by that cloud of aerosol being produced.

There's cancerous chemicals, nicotine, heavy metals, all sorts of things, not just for the person using, but for anyone around them too.

- In a little bit, we're gonna talk to a state senator about what our politicians are doing to protect our kids, and what they're doing in terms of limiting e-cigarette usage.

But if you had a magic wand, what would you do?

What do you think one or two things that can be done that would really hamper kids using vape pens?

- Oh, well, I mean, I would say that the best case scenario would be to be able to take 'em off the market completely.

But that there was a big effort and something that happened in 2022 to get JUUL off the market completely, but there was a stay put on that, and they've been able to stay on the market.

So there's always... That's the thing with the legalities.

There are always loopholes that goes back and forth.

Some band gets put in place or it's trying to be, but they're spending money to counteract that, and then they find loopholes.

But I would say, more realistically, if we're looking at baby steps, really focusing on getting rid of the flavors or putting heavier restrictions on flavors because that is a huge attraction to young people.

There are thousands of tobacco and e-cigarette flavors out there.

That is something that intrigues kids, really kind of, when we teach classes, we almost call it like a kid's menu.

They obviously can't call it that, but that's not being used to entice older adults to quit smoking, 15,000 something flavors.

That's definitely targeting kids.

And then also looking at the marketing, trying to regulate the marketing more.

If you look at what's being used out there, it shows young people trying to make it look trendy, make it look cool.

So really kind of counteracting that would be important too.

So anywhere that we can address some of those factors that are really fueling youth use would be helpful.

- I'd imagine, as a teenager, they've got enough tough stuff to deal with in this world, but being addicted to something, I mean it's tough to quit.

What kind of resources do you have?

What kind of advice would you give to even an adult who is vaping and wants to quit?

- Definitely.

So there are a variety of resources, both nationally, in our community, online for nicotine addiction.

So the one that is based in our state that I'll, I'll mention right now is the Illinois Tobacco Quit Line.

So the Illinois Tobacco quit line, it is a free resource.

There's an online option.

There's also a phone number you can call 24/7.

They have different languages.

And they have just opened up a new section.

It was formerly just for adults, but now they've opened up a part more specific for vaping for 13 to 19 year olds.

And then they also offer quitting services for adults, obviously, of course, too.

Other than that, there are tons of resources.

There's something the Truth Initiative put out.

They have a free text-based program.

So it's specifically made for young people to text.

They'll say what product they're using.

If they have a quit date, offer weeks of support.

And I would say if you are watching this and you're thinking, "Wow, where can I see a whole list of these resources and what's available?"

contact Hult Center for Healthy Living.

Just a few months ago, we vetted a ton of online resources and put together a whole resource guide of what's available, whether it costs money or not, whether it's online in phone or in-person.

Our website is hulthealthy.org - And that's kind of a one-stop shop for everybody to find out about ways they can quit and get help.

- Yes, so you can give us a call.

You can shoot us an email or message through our website too, and we can definitely provide more information on both the education we can provide in person, as well as that resource guide.

- Is there anything happening with... We know there's laws.

You have to be a certain age to buy this stuff, but is there anything going on with retailers in the area as far as... 'Cause the kids are getting this stuff somewhere.

Is there any kind of cracking down, so to speak, on retailers?

- So as far as retailers, it is illegal for them to sell any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes to anyone under 21.

So someone does have to be 21 show proper identification to legally be getting a hold of any vaping product.

As far as what's being done to enforce that, I'm not 100% sure on all of those efforts, but that's... Yeah.

- That's the age JUUL thing.

- Yeah.

- It was that way with cigarettes.

It's been that way without alcohol forever.

Somebody is buying it for these kids, but it is against the law, as you said, - Yes, definitely.

- Have you talked with any kids who have been addicted to vaping, and quit, and had a good experience to tell or given you any feedback in terms of what you've taught different kids?

- Yeah, so I wish I had more stories like that.

So when they come to Hult Center, we come to them.

I usually just see them one time or I might see them for another topic that I teach through Hult Center.

So unless they come talk to me right then and there, then I don't have as many stories related to that.

However, I will say, if you look at the Truth Initiative, for example, they're the one that have the text-based resource for quitting for teens.

They have so many reviews and quotes from teens that have used their services and quit, and it's really empowering.

So we do try and show during our presentation examples of what other teens are saying to show them this works, this is out there, and it can take many tries to quit too.

So nicotine, it's very addictive.

- Well, Jessica Johnson with the Hult Center for Healthy Living in Peoria, thanks for everything you're doing.

And again, people can go to your website to find out more information.

- All right.

- Thanks.

- Thank you.

- Joining us now is State Senator Julie Morrison, representing Illinois's 29th District in the Northern Chicago suburbs.

Senator, thanks for being with us today.

We appreciate it.

- Well, thanks for the invitation.

- Well, we're talking about teen vaping.

And looking back at some of the things that you've been an advocate for, you really wanna see tobacco use put to an end for minors.

Why are you so passionate about this?

- I think my family personally has been impacted.

I lost a dad when he was just 55 years old to lung cancer.

He was completely addicted and unable to stop.

He started as a young teen.

And since then, I've seen many family and friends addicted to tobacco, and they started young.

So I think if we can help young people not start tobacco, we make a huge difference in their lives.

- We told folks earlier that some information that they may not know, that some of these vaping companies are now kind of disguising their equipment as everyday items, like highlighters, erasers, things like that.

Tell us about some of the fight that's being put up against that.

- Some of the things that kids are using as vaping tools look like flash drives, they look like highlighters, they even look like little stuffed animals with vaping pens hidden inside them.

And so I have a bill this spring that says that you cannot market or advertise those kinds of items that are disguised, that an adult would think are not vaping materials.

So teachers have complained for several years about the fact that kids, especially in high school, and now even younger, are sneaking these products into schools and using them, and they're really hard for teachers to identify.

So this bill, Senate Bill 2662, really sailed through the Senate with not a lot of opposition at all.

We don't need kids using vaping in school.

And there was a sister bill that passed that prohibits the purchase of mail, of mailing those kinds of products as well.

- Yeah, let's talk about that because, just to remind people in Illinois, vaping, like regular cigarette smoking, is prohibited now in public places.

You have to be 21 to be able to vape or buy the vape equipment, but let's talk about that mail order.

If I'm understanding this correctly, someone under 21 could order something off the internet, vaping supplies, and have it sent to their house.

Is that right?

- Well, technically, they're not supposed to be able to, but there's always loopholes.

There's always ways kids get ahold of mom or dad's ID and/or their credit cards.

I mean there's loopholes.

So those things cannot, should not be sold online like that.

One of the problems, Mark, is that if you ask kids in high school, do you think that vaping is a dangerous, is that a dangerous activity?

40% of the kids will say, "No, there's nothing wrong with it."

They don't realize that that's nicotine.

It's really not that different than smoking a cigarette.

And I think they're gonna find that if they continue that habit, they're gonna end up with really serious health problems in the future.

- So do you think, as a society, we need to do a better job of educating our kids about the dangers of vaping?

- Yeah, we are.

I think we're starting to do a better job.

Kids don't use cigarettes anymore.

That used to be 30, 40 years ago.

Smoking was the thing that kids did.

They would sneak cigarettes, and now they're using vaping.

It's a lot more discreet.

It's a lot cheaper now to vape than it is to buy a package of cigarettes because there's such a heavy tax on them, and smoke.

But vaping is a very discreet way to get a nicotine buzz.

Kids have said to me that the first time that they'll encounter vaping will be at a party, they'll be with other friends and somebody will have one, and they'll say, "Do you wanna try this?

It's this cool flavor."

It'll be a bubblegum.

It'll be a pineapple flavor.

It'll be something fun and they'll just try it without really realizing that you do that a couple times and you get that nicotine addiction pretty easily.

And before you know it, you really start to crave the nicotine as opposed to just trying something fun at a party.

We wanna stop that.

- Sure.

How do you think Illinois is doing compared to the rest of the country in terms of... We've got the laws, the 21-year-old law, things like that.

Is there anything more we could be doing or should be doing, you think?

- I think we're doing a pretty good job, actually.

I think we're ahead of some states.

The next thing that we should do is to outlaw flavored tobacco products so that if you have someone vaping something that has no flavor to it or has the flavor of tobacco, that's a very different experience than vaping something that's strawberry flavored.

I think that would be a very unpleasant experience for a 14 or 15-year-old kid.

So that's the next thing, is to get rid of all the flavors, including menthol.

- Yeah, there's been talk for ages it seems like, about getting rid of menthol-flavored cigarettes for various reasons.

It just hasn't happened yet, but do you think that's something on the horizon that we'll see?

- Federal government is talking about it.

A lot of this should happen at the federal level, and I'm hoping that the federal government steps up and takes the lead on that one.

- Anything else you wanna tell us about what you're doing in the Capitol to try and get folks, especially young kids, to not vape and not smoke?

- I'm hoping that there is a general awareness.

There are teen organizations across the state in high schools that are trying to bring awareness.

And the Department of Public Health now recognizes, I believe, the impact on our state budget, that cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, all the different diseases that come from smoking have.

So I'm, I'm hoping that parents, when they see their kids using, vaping, they'll realize that they need to help their kids stop and not start.

- And over the years, the fight against Big Tobacco has been a difficult one for more than one reason, but namely the tobacco companies have a lot of money.

Do you find that with the vaping companies too?

Or do they have a lot of big bucks behind them?

Is that part of the reason why it's been hard in this fight?

- Absolutely.

The big tobacco companies that we traditionally thought of as cigarettes are now the people behind vaping.

They've sort of shifted their influence and their dollars to vaping.

They are still the stakeholders.

So we have to be really vigilant and realize that their impact is still there.

So it's the same fight, but I think there's a lot more people, much more aware of the health impact, and the fight continues.

- All right, State Senator Julie Morrison joining us from the Capitol.

We appreciate your time today.

Thank you.

- Thanks, Mark.

- Phil Luciano joins us now.

And kids are attracted to what they're not supposed to do.

It's always been like that throughout time.

- Playing catch up, it's a hard thing to do, but at least they're trying to stay abreast of all this stuff.

- Yeah, we'll let you know what happens with some of that legislation in the future, but right now, we have a new you gotta see this.

- Got a few good things that are coming up.

Wait til you see this guy's house in Bloomington-Normal.

It's in the middle of just a typical ranch area.

You turn the corner and boom.

This thing is like...

The whole thing is like a pop art explosion.

And then we go inside to show you more.

You're just not gonna believe this place.

- Cool.

What else we got?

- We also are going to be visiting with the... - Retiring barber, isn't it?

- Yes, yes.

I'm trying to read my notes.

(laughs) It's a fellow who's been cutting hair for 70 years, and going into his shop is like going onto a comedy set.

He's like the emcee.

His customers are all of the audience, and it's a rip-roaring fun time.

We'll check him out next.

- You don't find too many places like that anymore.

I don't know, at the conveyor belt hair place that I go to, it's just like snip, snip, go.

- Oh, it's like barbershops, shoeshine shops, the neighborhood cafe and tavern, all becoming extinct.

- All right, looking forward to seeing it.

And thank you for joining us.

We appreciate it.

Check us out on Facebook and Instagram and anytime at wtvp.org.

Have a good night.

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