According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 1.5 million more current youth e-cigarette users in 2018 than 2017. The Marion County Public Health Department wants to remind residents e-cigarettes, JUULs, vapes, and other electronic smoking devices are not harmless. According to the CDC, 99% of e-cigarettes contain nicotine that most youth are unaware of. Marion County Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Chelsea Bagby tells KNIA/KRLS News along with the nicotine in the devices, there is a large amount of different flavors that youth will gravitate towards. Bagby says, even though the devices are not directly advertising towards youth, with the flavors it’s almost as if they are. According to the CDC, Nicotine has been shown to harm adolescent brain development, which continues until the early to mid-20s. E-cigarette use increased from 11.7% to 20.8% among high school students and 3.3% to 4.9% among middle school students in 2018. For more information about the harmful use of Nicotine and Tobacco contact Chelsea Bagby with Marion County Public Health.