Civil Beat Breaks Down Teen Vaping in Hawaii

When Tom Lindsey’s foster son’s e-cigarette cartridge accidentally fell to the floor, they both dove for it. Lindsey got to it first, but that didn’t end the scuffle.

“He bites my hand just like Gollum,” Lindsey recalled.

That’s when it became clear to the retired Kauai corrections officer and long-time foster parent that e-cigarettes weren’t just a fad. Lindsey is so concerned about vaping’s ability to quickly hook Hawaii’s youth that he recently traveled to Oahu to attend a state summit on tobacco use prevention.

“I’m a dad — I’m supposed to be a gatekeeper at the house,” he said. “He knows it’s dangerous. I can’t keep him in a bubble.”

Since their entrée into the market about 10 years ago, vaping devices have exploded in popularity among Hawaii youth, particularly on the neighbor islands.  Read the rest of the article HERE