Although fewer teens are lighting up a cigarette these days, more and more are turning to vaping. In fact, about one of every five high school students vape. But is it safer than cigarettes?

The Florida Retail Federation is warning the public about illegal vapes from China flooding the Florida market.

There is a plan in the works to ban smoking in Jacksonville’s parks. Light up or vape and you could pay a fine or even go to jail. It’s not a rule yet, but it’s something the city council is considering.

Australia’s tobacco tax will be increased by billions of dollars over the next four years as the government cracks down on smoking and vaping.

A scary incident at Interlachen High School is putting a spotlight on a growing vaping problem across the US involving kids. News4JAX has learned that last Friday, two junior high students at Interlachen High School were taken to the hospital after becoming ill from vaping.

Vaping continues to pose a risk to teens, with a recent study finding more young e-cigarette users vape within five minutes of waking up.

The Florida Senate on Monday passed a plan that would regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the state’s legal age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.

Despite opposition from prominent health groups, a House committee Monday approved a bill that would regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the state’s legal age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.

Could smoking and vaping be aiding the spread of COVID-19? Recent research aims to uncover whether there’s a relationship between cigarettes, e-cigarettes and the coronavirus, particularly in teenagers and young adults. Fariba Rezaee, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic Children’s, did not take part in the study but said that when people vape, the act itself can spread the virus. Results show the coronavirus was seven times more likely among young people who smoked both types of cigarettes. Additionally, COVID-19 was five times more likely in young people who only used e-cigarettes.

NEW YORK Vaping rates among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year, according to a federal report released Wednesday. That marks a dramatic decline from a similar survey last year that found about 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school students recently vaped. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the national survey of more than 20,000 middle and high school students. It asks students if they had used any vaping or traditional tobacco products in the previous month. CDC officials gradually focused their investigation on black market THC cartridges, and on a chemical compound called vitamin E acetate that had been added to illicit THC vaping liquids.

Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill to raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 because it would have also banned the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products used in vaping. This legislation would almost assuredly lead more people to resume smoking cigarettes and it would drive others to the hazardous black market, DeSantis wrote, pointing out lung injury associated with black market products. He said it also would be devastating to small businesses that sell vaping products. The veto came hours after Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a press release warning about the dangers of underage vaping. The statement touted her work to get the bill passed.

So now is as good a time as any to kick that vaping habit. According to Humberto Choi, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, many people started vaping because they thought it would be safer than smoking traditional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes were really sold as something that could be safe, or safer, than regular cigarettes, he said. In fact, some studies have shown people who try to use electronic cigarettes to quit smoking, never really quit they just continue to use a different nicotine product. Because smoking is very habit-forming, Choi recommends replacing a smoking habit with another healthier habit.

If you think your teen or young adult doesnt vape, or vaping is safer than cigarettes, you might want to think again. Vaping has been linked to an increase in lung inflammation and blamed for as many as 60 deaths. And now, theres COVID, at a time when theres been a surge in teen vaping especially among minorities. Internet searches for vaping and COVID peaked in March, but then dropped off, and in the Latino community, fewer people searched for information despite a surge in vaping among Latinos. Kids often think vaping is less harmful than cigarettes.

But vaping is still a big problem in the United StatesAccording to Humberto Choi, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, one worrisome impact of vaping during the coronavirus pandemic is that the symptoms of vaping lung injury mimic those of coronavirus. Between COVID-19 and acute lung injury related to vaping, the presentation can be very similar.People who smoke traditional cigarettes face greater risks, too. Choi said an especially dangerous trait of COVID-19 is the virus ability to transition to pneumonia. We do know, especially when someone is smoking cigarettes, that person is more susceptible to infection, so there is a higher risk of acquiring pneumonia, said Choi. Choi reminds people that its always a good time to quit smoking or vaping, but now more than ever, we need to take health precautions very seriously.

What we know about COVID-19 so far, is that the virus has had a tremendous effect on the elderly. But, according to Humberto Choi, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, that doesn’t mean that young people are not becoming ill from the disease. You still need to take COVID-19 seriously“I think there is this misconception out there related to COVID-19 that only grandma will get sick from COVID-19, and because you are young, you won’t get it,” he said. There are cases we are seeing in the hospital, people who are getting very sick and need life support,” he said. Even people without any major underlying health issues are getting sick from the COVID-19, so no one is completely safe from the disease.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - Vaping companies are under scrutiny for how their marketing and sweet flavors have appealed to young people -- and two new studies published Monday illustrate how both may have influenced vaping habits. The researchers are among the voices now debating restrictions or bans on sales of flavored vaping products -- many including mint and menthol, which some experts say also attract kids. A number of states -- including Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Rhode Island and New York -- have moved to restrict or ban the sales of flavored vaping products. Proponents of flavors, including vapers themselves, say they can be a useful tool in helping adult smokers quit. While vaping content on social media is often user-generated, a number of videos and posts have been sponsored by the vaping industry or shared by paid influencers, as well.

(CNN) - Vaping, often described as an "epidemic" in middle and high schools, was not significantly different among adults in the United States in 2014 vs. 2018, according to survey results published Monday. However, those numbers had been declining from 2014 to 2017, preceding an uptick largely attributable to the increasing popularity of vaping among 18- to 24-year-olds. In that age group, prevalence of e-cigarette use rose from 5.2% in 2017 to 7.6% in 2018. "A significant increase between 2017 and 2018 occurred among young adults, but no such increase occurred in middle-aged or older adults." Meanwhile, the prevalence of vaping among youth has continued to skyrocket, according to other surveys of middle and high school students.

Georgia Health workers are warning parents about CBD products , after several high school students passed out from Vaping last year.