Stories
The youth e-cigarette epidemic impacts millions of kids in every corner of the country. Here are some of their stories:
Madison Langer
Madison Langer was 15 when she was offered an e-cigarette for the first time. The “Captain Crunch” flavor tasted just like her favorite cereal, and she later purchased her own Juul without realizing she was becoming addicted to nicotine. After learning about the health effects of e-cigarettes, Madison quit and began sharing her story and advocating for strong policies to address the youth e-cigarette epidemic.
Luka Kinard
Eager to fit in at his high school, Luka Kinard tried Juul for the first time at a high school football game. He quickly became addicted to nicotine, which negatively affected his personality, his grades and his health. His parents knew he needed help, and eventually found a treatment center that helped him beat his addiction. He now speaks out about his experience to the media, policy makers and youth across the county to help end this epidemic.
Sarah Ryan
E-cigarettes changed life for every student at Sarah Ryan’s Massachusetts high school. At one point, the school had to shut down bathrooms where e-cigarette use had become rampant. But students were still trading Juul pods in hallways and sneaking hits in the middle of class. Sarah knew that far more would need to be done to get the problem under control.
Elvis Reyes
Elvis Reyes decided to become involved in the fight against tobacco products after seeing his grandfather and a dear friend die from health complications resulting from their lifelong tobacco addiction. He soon realized that e-cigarettes were addicting his peers and threatening progress in the fight against tobacco. Elvis is now a leader in the Flavors Hook Kids NYC campaign to ban all flavored e-cigarettes.
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