I hate to end the week with sad news, but the best way to avoid tragedy is to increase awareness.

One of our fellow Michigan kids recently had to undergo a double-lung transplant due to lung injuries from vaping.

Terrible.

According to the article, “the CDC reported there had been 2,051 confirmed and probable U.S. lung injury cases and 39 deaths associated with e-cigarettes or vaping products.”

This is a pretty big deal, and I think many of our young people innocently think that vaping isn’t really that dangerous.

It would seem that the marketing of these products to the kids – especially in fun colors and flavors – is yet another diabolical plan to harm our kids.

But vaping – just like smoking – is quite dangerous.

Not only that, addiction is is also serious – and scary.

It’s a nasty demon that usually hides itself in a shadow of denial or shame.

So we need to be careful how we address these things.

If you have kids or grandkids – no matter how innocent you think they might be – I encourage you to bring up smoking/vaping with them.

Kids are remarkably good at hiding things (you remember, don’t you?)

So, be gentle. Ask about what they’ve seen in school. Have other kids or their friends been vaping? Have they been asked to try?

Again, don’t be judgmental or assuming. That will just shut them up – sometimes for life.

Kids face a lot of stresses and challenges that we might not fully understand or remember, but they need us.

Let’s be the support that they need.