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STATE WIDE–More people are vaping in Indiana and across the country. One expert believes you should take advantage of your captive audience and tell the kids about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine while they are stuck at home.

“Overall illegal drug use is down significantly. Alcohol use is down. But, we are seeing that big concern around vaping and that’s something that we need to get a hold of,” said Dr. Jack Stein, Ph.D., spokesperson for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

LISTEN: Jack Stein talks about vaping.

Stein said that in 2019, vaping was up nearly 40 percent in Indiana. That’s in a year where vaping disease had a significant effect on the use of vaping products.

Stein said it’s disappointing to see an increase in vaping because there has been a significant decrease in smoking.

“The fact is regardless of it being vaping or smoking cigarettes, nicotine is being ingested. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. It affects the brain.”

Stein said he believes what’s had a major effect in bringing down the numbers of teenagers who smoke is the information that’s available on the consequences. He believes since people are stuck at home, they should take advantage of the time to talk to their kids.

“Education, awareness around that is so important. That’s one of the things that we’re doing this week at the National Institute for Drug Abuse, we’re hosting a whole week called National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, which is literally to shatter the myths around drugs and alcohol,” he said. Stein invited you and your family to participate at http://www.drugabuse.gov.

“Everybody is home together. This is for us the ideal opportunity to try to get out some science-based information and have some of those conversations within the family,” he said.

Stein said he is looking forward to studies on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on smoking and vaping.