Even with decades of memorable warnings and data, people are still taking up the deadly habit of smoking, still facing the same – and even new ­– health risks. February marks Children’s Dental Health Month, a perfect time to call out the prevalence of vaping (using e-cigarettes) among adolescents.

More than 2 million middle school- and high school-aged U.S. teens reported vaping in 2021. In Oregon, just over 25% of 11^th graders and 13% of 8^th graders said vaping was their entry into smoking. The most recent Oregon Healthy Teens Survey report also shows that roughly 60% of students believe that vaping every day poses only a moderate, slight, or no risk at all of general harm.