"Popcorn Lung" is Just One of the Risks of Vaping
Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Vape pens like the JUUL use a heated “e-liquid” to create the vapor you inhale. E-liquids typically contain nicotine, but also flavoring chemicals to make the vapor taste minty, fruity, or sweet. Flavoring chemicals are safe when used in food, but may cause serious health risks when they’re heated and inhaled. One of the most dangerous e-liquid ingredients is a chemical called diacetyl. Inhaling diacetyl causes bronchiolitis obliterans, aka “popcorn lung,” an irreversible disease that scars the tiny air sacs in your lungs and blocks the movement of air. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, and the most severe cases may require a lung transplant. Diacetyl isn’t the only hazard in e-cigarettes—the U.S. Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association says there are dozens of other flavoring chemicals that can be harmful when inhaled. .. read more..

Classmates and Friends Remember Mollie Tibbetts
Monday, August 27, 2018

University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts was last seen going for a run in Brooklyn, Iowa, on the evening of July 18. Last week, the search for Tibbetts came to a tragic end when police announced that she had been abducted and murdered. More than a thousand people gathered for her funeral, and family members asked people to remember her by celebrating “wonderful things.” Students across the country are now starting running clubs so they can stay safe on and off campus, and runners are raising awareness about personal safety with the hashtag #MilesforMollie. Others are using #TheMollieMovement to spread acts of kindness in Tibbetts’ honor. .. read more..

Iowa Teen Has to Relearn How to Walk After Attempting the Keke Challenge
Monday, August 20, 2018

Eighteen-year-old Anna Worden had been dancing since she was three, so she didn’t hesitate to try the Keke challenge (the viral trend where people film themselves dancing to Drake’s “In My Feelings” alongside their moving car). But before her friends could begin filming, Worden tripped and hit her head, resulting in a fractured skull, bleeding in her brain, and blood clots in her ear. Her doctors say she’ll need extensive physical therapy to learn how to walk again. Worden isn’t the only one who has been injured—other videos show people falling, running into objects, and even having their belongings stolen while attempting the challenge. A statement by the National Transportation Safety Board sums it up: “Don’t jump out of a moving car for a meme. That’s it. It’s foolish, it puts other road users at risk, and, it’s an excellent way to suffer road rash, legal penalties, or worse. By posting such a video, you’re providing evidence not just of your dance moves, but of any laws you may be breaking.” .. read more..