With Increase in Teen Vaping, Lexington One and Two Coalitions Host Free Event at White Knoll High School

October 17, 2019

National Speakers Luka and Kelly Kinard Share Mother and Son Experience

Columbia, SC – Vaping Addiction: A Mother and Son Experience with national speakers Luka and Kelly Kinard, a Communities Talk event, will be hosted by the Lexington One Community Coalition (LOCC) and the Rise Above It: Lexington Two Community Coalition in partnership with LRADAC and many more on October 21. This free event will be held in the White Knoll High School auditorium. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, past-month use of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) was 9.5 percent among 8th graders, 14.0 percent among 10th graders, and 16.2 percent among high school seniors. Research also showed that 30.7 percent of e-cig users started smoking combustible tobacco products (cigarettes, hookah and cigars) within 6 months.

During a Today Show interview, 16-year-old Luka Kinard stated, “I vaped for 15 months, give or take, before I stopped. I went from being a straight-A student to a failing student. I quit sports, I stopped going to Boy Scouts.” Full interview here.

On Monday, October 21, Luka and his mother will come to the Midlands to share their story. This free event is intended for youth in middle school or older and adults. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and light refreshments will be provided.

This event is held in partnership with Lexington One School District, Lexington School District Two, Mothers Against Drunk Driving SC (MADD), The Courage Center, the Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center, Communities Talk, Midlands Fatherhood Coalition, Lexington Sheriff’s Department and White Knoll High School. For more information, contact Heather Johnson at hjohnson@lradac.org or (803) 726-9374.

Rise Above It: Lexington Two Community Coalition is a Drug Free Community grant-funded organization housed at LRADAC serving the Lexington School District Two community.  To read more about Rise Above It: Lexington Two Community Coalition, visit riseaboveitlexington.org.

The Lexington One Community Coalition is a prevention organization supported by LRADAC and the Lexington One School District serving youth in the Lexington School District One community.  To learn more about LOCC, visit www.facebook.com/LOCCLex/

LRADAC is the designated alcohol abuse and drug abuse authority for Lexington and Richland Counties of South Carolina. The public, not-for-profit agency offers a wide array of prevention, intervention and treatment programs in locations convenient to residents of both counties. The agency has a budget of approximately $10 million and serves more than 5,000 clients per year.