Johns Hopkins study reveals serious health risks of e

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A recent study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that e-cigarettes significantly increase users' risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure.

Local doctors report treating young patients with severe breathing problems from vaping.

When e-cigarettes first became available, companies marketed them as a "safe" alternative to traditional cigarettes. The different flavors made them appealing to teenagers and young adults.

"Now you have products that taste pretty good, don't have a big smell. And the reality is that that's kind of a deceitful way to get a product into the hands of someone that later may start to smoke," said Dr. Todd Hoopman, a pulmonologist at Kootenai Health.

Dr. Robert Eagle, a pediatrician with Providence, shares