From the editor: Why The Enquirer spent 6 months investigating teen vaping

The story that leads off The Enquirer’s special report on the scourge of vaping in our community is a tough read. My guess is that it hits especially hard for anyone who’s currently responsible for the wellbeing of a teenager.

For me, it landed like a punch in the gut.

The smell is "like a pungent, sour fruit," said Jeff Sunberg, who bravely shared with Enquirer reporter Madeline Mitchell his and his wife’s fight to help their son overcome his addiction to electronic cigarettes, or vapes. I’ve smelled that same tell-tale odor lingering in my home.

And I’m not alone.

$60K retreats and a metal detector: How one family fought a vape addiction

According to a 2021 survey funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 Ohio high school students said they tried vaping. Nearly 1 in 5 reported they were currently using vapes.

Our special report, the work of nearly a dozen Enquirer journalists, focuses on where vaping has been the most disruptive – in our schools and in the lives of families who worry about the long-term health effects on their children. Some highlights:

• In two school districts where we reviewed records – Cincinnati Public Schools and Boone County Schools – more than 1,000 reports were filed after kids were caught vaping at school. Emphasis on caught. One can only wonder how many students escaped detection.

• The health risks associated with vaping are real and only recently have been documented. Researchers have discovered that inhaling diacetyl, a chemical added to vape liquid to enhance taste, can cause scarring in the bronchioles, a condition known as popcorn lung.

• An Enquirer analysis found 177 Cincinnati area vape stores located within a 1-mile radius of a middle or high school have been cited for selling to minors. That number is more than half of all stores cited in the region.

Vapes disguised as school supplies

Because parents of teenagers grew up in a world without vapes (electronic cigarettes were introduced in the U.S. in 2007), they’re often caught off guard when their children start using. And in a way that only can be described as sinister, some vapes are made to look like USB memory sticks or highlighter pens. To help parents, our special report includes a visual guide to the variety of vape products that can be purchased online or at one of the smoke shops that have become ubiquitous in our neighborhoods.

In Ohio and Kentucky, you must be 21 or older to purchase tobacco products. I asked my teenage son if he or his friends were ever asked to show an ID when buying vape pens and cartridges. His answer was no.

Not once.

Teens also buy vapes from other teens. And some use them for concentrated cannabis extracts, which can be obtained almost as easily as nicotine vapes.

So what can be done to help families and educators? Lawmakers in Ohio have been fighting over proposals to ban flavored tobacco products that have made vaping so popular with teens. Absent a statewide ban, local municipalities, including Cincinnati, might take up the cause. Our special report concludes with a look at the political battle and follows the money from the tobacco lobby into the campaign coffers of our elected leaders – all the way up to Gov. Mike DeWine, who, for the record, supports a ban on flavored tobacco products.

Public service journalism

The Enquirer’s investigation into our community’s vaping crisis was nearly six months in the making. Typically, a project that requires a large investment of time and expertise would be accessible only to subscribers. However, as a public service, this special report will be available free of charge.

That said, now, more than ever, we rely on the support of our subscribers to provide exclusive, consequential local journalism. It doesn’t come cheap.

If you value local journalism, please consider supporting this vital work with a digital subscription. If you’re already a subscriber, you have my sincere thanks.

This special report also was made possible in part by underwriting from Interact for Health. We thank them for their partnership.

It’s my hope our efforts will raise awareness and spark conversations that lead to action. Bottom line, our laws aimed at protecting young people from the damaging effects of vaping are ineffective and difficult to enforce.

As always, I appreciate your comments and suggestions as we continue to report on this threat to the safety and well-being of our youth.

Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.

This project was underwritten, in part, by Interact for Health.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Editor Beryl Love introduces Enquirer special report on teen vaping