Sangamon Sun

State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) wants to hear from parents about the rise in vaping among teenagers.

“Parents, I'm interested in your thoughts on this topic,” Butler posted on Facebook. “Are you observing this trend in vaping? What actions are you or your schools taking?”

Illinois Youth Survey statistics indicate that vaping among senior students in Illinois has increased from 18.4 percent in 2016 to 26.7 percent in 2018. Across the country, e-cigarette use among middle and high school students nearly doubled over a yearlong period beginning in 2017. In addition, almost 11 million youths between 12 and 17 years old are reported to have at least experimented with vaping.

According to the Daily Herald, e-cigarette use among teenagers has also grown at a faster pace than alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs and opioids, health experts warn, prompting Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim to recently file suit against industry leader Juul Labs over its products. The Herald adds some suburban schools have gone as far as having installed monitors in bathrooms and locker rooms where students commonly use the devices.

Since last June, state and federal officials have opened investigations into 94 lung disease deaths believed to be linked to vaping and e-cigarettes.