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Michigan ban on e-cigarettes: Why teenage vaping is such a serious health problem

Dozens hospitalized with lung injuries

DETROIT – Michigan's ban on flavored vaping products is primarily aimed at protecting children, although other harmful effects of vaping are becoming apparent.

Health officials said there are serious concerns about vaping across the country.

Teen vaping has become a tragic off-shoot of something that initially showed promise to help regular cigarette users quit using combustible tobacco.

Experts said, unfortunately, vaping and e-cigarettes have become a problem of their own as more and more people are picking up the habit.

Illinois teenager Adam Hergenreder is one of dozens who have been hospitalized with lung injuries potentially linked to vaping. He's hooked up to a machine to help him breathe.

"My lungs feel like they're being crushed by 20 pounds," Hergenreder said.

"They told me if we didn't bring him in when we brought him in, his lungs would have collapsed, and he would have died," his mother, Polly Hergenreder, said.

Adam Hergenreder said he has been vaping for the last year and a half. He ended up adding THC to the mix.

"When I first started Juuling, I didn't know what nicotine was," Adam Hergenreder said. "I just thought it was just a vape juice. I don't even know what vape juice is."

Surveys show many teenagers incorrectly assume vaping is harmless.

Doctors said it could take months for Adam Hergenreder's lungs to recover. His parents want to warn others about the risks of vaping.

"It almost killed my son, and I'm not going to be silent," Polly Hergenreder said.

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About the Authors
Frank McGeorge, MD headshot

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.

Derick Hutchinson headshot

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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