Anti-vaping ads released

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is releasing its first anti-vaping television ads Monday targeting teens as part of its “The Real Cost” youth e-cigarette prevention campaign. A statement said ads will run on ESPN, TeenNick, CW and MTV, along with music sites and social media.

The ads, titled “Magic,” feature street magician Julius Dein turning teens’ vapes into cigarettes.

“Did you know that if you vape, you are more likely to start smoking cigarettes?” Dein asks a group of young people after the e-cigarette in one teen’s hand disappears and is replaced by a cigarette. “It’s not magic, It’s statistics.”

The FDA will also distribute posters for high school bathrooms in the upcoming school year with anti-vaping messages.

“You might as well flush your lungs while you’re at it,” one poster reads. “Vaping can deliver toxic metal particles like nickel, lead and chromium directly into your lungs.”