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State Senators and High School Official Warn of Dramatic Rise in Teen E-Cigarette Use

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Two state senators and a local High School District official are sounding the alarm that e-cigarette use is rising dramatically among local teens and causing addiction.

State Senators Julie Morrison (Lake Forest) and Meg Loughran Cappel (Shorewood) say the newest concern are e-cigarettes that look like highlighters, markers, and other school supplies. 

E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes as most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to hold the liquid. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine.

Loughran Cappel and Morrison’s initiative comes in response to students obtaining e/cigarettes that are designed to look like everyday objects, such as highlighters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. Most e-cigarettes, according to the CDC, contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and harm adolescent brain development. The CDC has also found that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.

The U.S. News and World Report claim that for one in 10 young adults in this country, vaping is a regular habit. Additionally, 2.13 million students reported current e-cigarette use last year.

Joining the two senators at the March 21 press conference in Springfield were Michelle Stiff, Joliet Township High School District 204 Board President; Shea Haury, ComWell Behavioral Health Services executive director; and Dennis Trask, ComWell Behavioral Health Services youth prevention coordinator.

ComWell is a not-for-profit organization based in southern Illinois that provides community services for mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities.

To protect the youth from dangers of vaping, Loughran Cappel is sponsoring a measure that would prohibit shipping e-cigarettes to anyone in the state.


“The internet makes it easy for kids to access vapes,” she said. “We have to do what we can to protect our youths from risks e-cigarettes pose to their health. Vapes that look like school supplies make it hard for teachers to decipher what the object is.

“After hearing from a local school district,” Loughran Cappel said, “it is clear there needs to be guardrails in place to prevent kids from easily getting e-cigarettes.”

Senate Bill 3098 would prohibit electronic cigarettes purchased by mail, online or through other remote sales methods from being shipped to anyone in the state other than a distributor or retailer. The bill passed the Senate Executive Committee and heads to the floor for further consideration.

Stiff said she is concerned about vaping at Joliet Township High School District 204, which is why she contacted local and state officials about the prevalent issue in her community.

“Part of the problem is the easy access to vapes and local businesses that sell vapes to our students,” she said. “Earlier in the school year, our Superintendent, Dr. Karla Guseman and I reached out to city officials and Mayor Terry D’Arcy regarding this problem.

“The City of Joliet has been addressing this issue with businesses in our area selling to minors,” Stiff noted. “The district has been tracking data, and I met with City Council members to review the data.  As a result, City Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra, 5th District and I were able to address this issue with Sen. Loughran Cappel and her staff to advocate for an amendment, SB 3098, which lessens individuals’ access to the sale/market of vape products. We are grateful for the supportive response from the city and our local officials, but more work must be done.”

Stiff said Joliet Township High School District 204 is not immune to the vaping problem.

“According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, alarmingly, e-cigarette use by high school seniors is higher than cigarette use was 10 years ago,” Stiff explained. “Between 2016 and 2018, e-cigarette use in Illinois increased from 18.4% to 26.7% among high school seniors, a 45% increase, a 15% increase among eighth-grade students, and a 65% increase among 10th-grade students.


“Unfortunately,” Stiff said, “this trend is seen among our high school students as we see far too many student discipline cases related to vaping and e-cigarettes.” 

Stiff said she has high hopes for Senate Bill 3098.

“This act is an essential piece of legislation when it comes to decreasing the number of youths engaging in this dangerous behavior, which is why I felt it necessary to advocate for its passage in Springfield,” she added. “We need to come together to address this problem to protect the health of our children, and the proposed bill is precisely what we need to make this possible. 

“Based on the positive response of legislators in Springfield, I am hopeful that this bill will pass and become a reality.  We need to do whatever it takes to address this problem.”

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