When a seventh grade student addresses a public town hall meeting with concerns for his peers on the dangers of vaping do you think he was taken seriously? You bet.

At Monday's town hall meeting, KSFY TV reports that Memorial Middle School 7th grader Leo Honeycutt expressed his feelings about vaping. "I am scared for the kids at my school because some of my friends vape and Juul."

With a panel made up of Avera pulmonologist, Dr. Anthony Hericks, Washington High School Principal, Dan Conrad, and Washington High School counselor Travis Sieber, the Sioux Falls School District called the meeting to educate students about the dangers of using these tobacco products.

To date there have been more than 800 recorded vaping-related illnesses across the country with 14 deaths attributed to it. In South Dakota there have been six cases reported.

At Monday's meeting Dr. Hericks stated that the chemicals inside the products can cause lipoid pneumonia or fatty pneumonia. He says there are several behaviors to look for if your child is vaping: coughing, mood swings, oral fixation, decreased appetite, and several other signs, as well.

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