Gov. Kim Reynolds And Other Iowa Officials Launch Anti-vaping Social Media Campaign

JOHNSTON — State officials launched an anti-vaping campaign Wednesday aimed at Iowa teenagers and their parents and Gov. Kim Reynolds said she would be open to considering legislation to raise the legal smoking age to 21 and increase the state tax on nicotine-related products next session.Reynolds told a news conference at Johnston Middle School she is concerned about “an alarming” rise in the number of 11th-grade students and younger who report using vaping or e-cigarette products that prompted her administration to embark on a social media campaign to alert students and their parents to health risks associated with nicotine use or vaping products laced with THC — the active ingredient in marijuana.“As a mom, grandma and governor of Iowa, I believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility to combat the teen vaping epidemic,” said Reynolds, who assembled officials from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education to unveil a new vaping awareness and prevention campaign.“By increasing awareness and education on the known risks of vaping, we can help prevent our young people from setting themselves up for a lifelong addiction to nicotine,” the governor said.