TAMPA, Fla. — E-cigarettes don't look like cigarettes at all. In fact, they can look more like a device for your computer than a vape pen.
Do you know which of the five items below are vape pens?
Just by looking, it can be almost impossible to spot an e-cigarette, making it easy for young people to conceal.
Numbers 2 and 5 are vape pens, by the way.
That's why Hillsborough County parents are getting a lesson in vaping.
READ HERE: FDA to teens: Vaping can be addictive
On Thursday, middle and high school parents were sent an e-mail from the Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins and Sheriff Chad Chronister about the county's new initiative #PutDownThePen.
The district is trying to help young people and their parents understand not only that vape pens are dangerous, but they can be criminal.
If your kid gets caught with a vape pen, it will be confiscated and tested. If THC oil is in that pen, your child could become a felon for life.
THC is the main ingredient in marijuana, but it's important to understand the difference: if your kid gets busted for smoking pot, they're off to a diversion program. But the oil is much more potent and instantly elevates the crime.
The long-term health risks are another cause for concern. Unlike smoking, the long-term effects of vaping are yet to be determined.
Teen brains are most at risk for long-term issues like nicotine addiction, mood disorder and impulse control problems. The aerosol from e-cigarettes is not harmless and can contain harmful chemicals.
Scientists are still working to fully understand the health effects for both users who inhale and for those exposed to the aerosol secondhand.
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