WACO, Texas (KXXV) — A Killeen family is speaking out about teen vaping after watching their daughter struggle with what they believe were physical and emotional effects tied to vaping.
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Donnie Griffin said he and his wife began noticing changes in their daughter before learning she had been vaping.
"We started noticing the difference of like, 'What is wrong with you, you know, like what's going on?'" Griffin said.
Griffin said he initially did not believe vaping could be the cause.
"I was like, 'No, that can't be it.' But then she got in trouble at school. They said they caught her in the bathroom vaping with some other girls," Griffin said. "It's like becoming a crisis if you ask me."
According to the family, their daughter experienced a number of changes they believe were linked to vaping. Griffin said the family tried to help her quit.
"We were trying to get her to stop, but she couldn't stop," Griffin said.
The family believes their experience reflects a broader issue affecting students across Texas.
"When it affected my daughter, it really opened my eyes and then that made me more concerned about other kids too. I'm like, if I'm not – I know I'm not the only family – and we're not the only family that's being affected by this," Griffin said.
25 News reached out to Killeen ISD for information about the district's policies regarding vaping, the frequency of vaping-related incidents and resources available to students. As of publication, the district had not responded.
The Griffins said they hope sharing their story encourages other parents to talk with their children about the risks associated with vaping.
"My daughter's a very good kid. I know there's a lot of good kids out there, and a lot of kids face a lot of problems, adult problems, and I just want to say, I want – oh man. I just want change. I want to see change and whatever I can do to help change, I would do that," Griffin said.
25 News wants to hear from viewers about how vaping has impacted them, their children or someone they know, and what steps they would like to see schools take to address the issue.
