CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. — The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office will now destroy any and all tobacco and/or vaping products and devices they find in the possession of a minor, according to a post on Facebook.
The Juvenile Courts for Cumberland County issued the order which also said addition consequences like a juvenile citation could be applied.
The order comes about a week after the FDA announced it is investigating the link between vaping and e-cigarettes to seizures.
Last month, a hospital in Wisconsin treated eight teenagers for severe injuries to their lungs, and doctors suspected their problems were tied to vaping.
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The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin confirmed the patients said they vaped in the weeks and months before being admitted to the hospital.
"The popularity of vaping is skyrocketing among our kids and the long term effects are relatively unknown," said Dr. Michael Gutzeit, the Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five high school students and one in twenty middle school students have reported vaping.
Medical professionals in East Tennessee say vaping can cause health problems.
"When you breathe it in, you are breathing in aerosolized chemicals deep into the lungs, one the most dangerous ones is diacetyl, which can cause popcorn lung," said Chris Rourke, PA-C with Summit Medical Group.
He said that can cause lung scarring, and it can lead to problems later in life.
"The earlier you breathe them in, the longer they have to affect the body," Rourke said.
Leaders at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin have a message for parents.
"If you know your kids or suspect your kids are vaping, have a conversation with them, talk to your health provider about how you can discuss that, and also warn them about the potential dangers of vaping," Dr. Gutzeit said.
The CDC said e-cigarettes expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than regular cigarettes, and it said the use of any tobacco product and e-cigarettes is not safe for young people.