Colorado's annual Healthy Kids surveyshows the the Western Slope region has the second highest rate of teen electronic cigarette use in the state.
The survey asks youth to self-report their habits. In Aspen, 59 percent of respondents said they have tried electronic cigarettes, 53 percent of high school students Aspen to Parachute said they have.
While the electronic vaping devices eliminate tobacco, they still have many health hazards similar to smoking cigarettes, including carcinogenic chemicals that flavor the vapors. They also have higher nicotine levels that a single cigarette, and the addictive substance has been shown to serve as a transition to smoking cigarettes.
The Aspen School District and Pitkin County are now collaborating to provide resources for parents talk to their kids.
