Vaping-linked disease reported in Kansas as schools fight ‘epidemic’ of teen use

Three cases of a mysterious vaping-related breathing illness among young adults have been reported in Kansas, adding to nearly 200 cases nationwide.

Kansas officials and educators were already scrambling to combat the surging popularity of vaping among teens. Reports of vaping-related illnesses in Kansas are likely to intensify efforts to inform students about the dangers of nicotine.

“A big part of it is going to be education for students, educators and parents,” said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Asked about illnesses involving youth vaping, Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman Ashley Jones-Wisner said the agency had received three reports, including one that came in Tuesday.

But she said she couldn’t release any additional information, such as the locations or ages of those affected, because of patient confidentiality.

By last week, 22 states had reported potential cases, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. No cases have been confirmed in Missouri, the state’s health agency said Wednesday.

The CDC said last week that while vaping links all the cases, “it is not clear these cases have a common cause” or if they are different diseases. Symptoms have included difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain.

One patient in Illinois died from the illness. CDC director Robert Redfield said in a statement last week the death “reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products.”

Electronic cigarettes have been described as a less dangerous alternative to regular cigarettes, but health officials have been worried about kids using them. Most of the concern has focused on nicotine, which health officials say is harmful to developing brains and might make kids more likely to take up cigarettes.

But some vaping products have been found to contain other potentially harmful substances, including flavoring chemicals and oils used for vaping marijuana, experts say.

In Kansas, concerns over vaping have escalated quickly. Mark Thompson, a consultant focused on health and physical education at the Kansas State Department of Education, said schools really began to see the impact of vaping among students during the 2018-2019 school year.

“Vaping has been around for a number of years, but it really exploded in 2018,” Thompson said.

As of 2017, 32.2 percent of Kansas high school students had used vaping products at least once, according to a survey of more than 2,000 students conducted by the state. The figure was higher than the percentage of students who said they had smoked a cigarette.

Vaping has several features that make it attractive to teens. The devices are small and often do not resemble traditional cigarettes, making it harder for teachers to identify them. Vaping also doesn’t produce smoke, so it’s much easier for students to vape in the restroom, in the hall or even in class.

Thompson said he’s heard of students vaping in class and exhaling into a hoodie to hide their use.

“They could actually vape in the classroom because you’re not going to pick up on the odor and if you can control where the vape goes, then it’s almost unnoticeable,” Thompson said. “That’s a unique challenge.”

Many districts have moved to change their anti-tobacco policies to cover vaping, Thompson said.

In March, Blue Valley Schools, one of the largest districts in Kansas, called vaping a “growing epidemic in our community” that needs to be fought. The district implemented harsher discipline for vaping use.

In May, the Kansas State Board of Education received a briefing on vaping. The next month, the board created a task force to provide updates on anti-vaping efforts.

Mark Desetti, a lobbyist for the Kansas National Education Association, said schools can work to curtail vaping. But ultimately, districts will need help from policymakers, parents and communities, he said.

“We need help from society as a whole,” Desetti said.

Across Kansas, 24 cities and counties have raised the age to purchase nicotine products, according to the Kansas Health Institute. That includes Kansas City, Kan., Topeka, Johnson County and Douglas County.

Thompson said moving the legal age to 21 guarantees schools don’t have students who can possess vaping products.

“Similar to alcohol, it moves up the age so you’re putting more hurdles in place for young adults to gain access to those products,” he said.

During the 2019 legislative session, the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition mounted an effort to raise the age. But so far legislation to do so hasn’t advanced.

Rep. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who was formerly superintendent of Auburn-Washburn schools, said she has not heard of any legislation being prepared to raise the age statewide during the 2020 session. But she added that lawmakers want to investigate vaping and make good public policy, she said.

“We’re not trying to punish anyone,” she said. “But we certainly want to keep our folks safe.”

Kansas City Star reporter Crystal Thomas and the Associated Press contributed to this story

This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Vaping-linked disease reported in Kansas as schools fight ‘epidemic’ of teen use."