FAIRMONT — A community conversation about E-cigarettes and vaping took place this week at Fairmont High School. It will continue around town.

“E-cigarette use has exploded across all our high schools in Minnesota,” said Elizabeth Heimer of the American Lung Association. “In Minnesota, youth tobacco use has actually increased for the first time in 17 years, due in part to E-cigarettes. E-cigarettes have increased by 50 percent since 2014. That’s a huge number.”

“It’s such a rising epidemic that data is changing rapidly,” said Steph Johnson, Martin County substance abuse coordinator.

Students in Martin County took a survey in April that determined that while just 4 percent report using tobacco, more than 12 percent report using E-cigarettes.

“We were winning the war and now vaping has changed that,” Johnson said.

“It becomes a lot more personal when you see your own community is affected by it,” Heimer said.

It was recently announced that youth E-cigarette use is considered an epidemic. The Minnesota Department of Health put out a back-to-school advisory, which Heimer said demonstrates the seriousness of the problem.

Heimer said many people are under the impression that an E-cigarette is just water vapor. In reality, E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is harmful to the developing brain and makes it more likely that youth will become addicted later on in life.

“Nicotine is the most addictive substance known to man and it’s getting into the hands of our kids,” Heimer said. “It’s more addictive than heroine and alcohol combined.”

She explained that the products come in intriguing candy and mint flavors, including cotton candy, mango and dragonberry. They’re also easily concealed. A JUUL — a type of e-cigarette — looks similar to a flash drive. However, a single JUUL pod has the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.

“These products are not targeted toward adults, they’re targeted toward youth,” Heimer said.

E-cigarettes are classified as tobacco, so people must be 18 to buy them. The products can be purchased at any tobacco retail store, including gas stations and grocery stores. Many high school seniors are 18 and they often bring e-cigarettes back to school and share with their 15-, 16- and 17-year-old friends.

Johnson said there are several steps planned to prevent the use of E-cigarettes by youth in the community.

First, they plan to talk to community leaders who make the rules and regulations to make sure youth will not be able to vape on school grounds.

“We’d really like to reach out to community leaders who have an influence on our youth, such as coaches and other youth leaders, so that they can give a message about the dangers of E-cigarettes and how addictive it is,” Johnson added.

She also said they are going to reach out to local police to make sure that local stores that sell tobacco products are checking IDs and not selling tobacco products to minors.