>> Anchor: A GROSSE POINTE TEENAGER WHO NEARLY DIED FROM
VAPING OPENS UP ABOUT HIS
EXPERIENCE AND THE VAPING CRISIS
IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> HOW COMMON WAS IT AMONG NOT
JUST YOUR FRIENDS?
>> IT’S MORE RARE TO FIND
SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T, I WOULD
SAY.
SAY. >> Reporter: AND GOING ON EVEN
IN SCHOOL, BECAUSE IT’S SO EASY
TO HIDE, RIGHT?
>> YES, PEOPLE DO IT IN CLASSES
AND BATHROOMS MOSTLY.
>> Anchor: IF YOU WERE WITH US
TODAY AT 5:00 FOR THE FIRST TIME
YOU MET THE GROSSE POINTE
TEENAGER WHO WAS THE FIRST
PERSON WHO NEEDED A DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT BECAUSE OF VAPING.
>> THERE WAS NOTHING GRADUAL
ABOUT WHAT DANIEL AMENT WENT
THROUGH EITHER.
THROUGH EITHER. >> Anchor: TONIGHT DEVIN
SCILLIAN HAS A CLOSER LOOK AT
THE VAPE HABIT THAT SO MANY
CONTINUE TO INDULGE IN.
>> HE TEXTED AND SAID I CAN’T
BREATHE, I SAID LET’S GO TO THE
E.R.
E.R. >> Reporter: SHE PUT HER SON
IN THE CAR, NOT KNOWING HE
WOULDN’T BE BACK HOME FOR NEARLY
TWO MONTHS.
TWO MONTHS. ACTUALLY HE VERY NEARLY NEVER
MADE IT HOME AT ALL.
HOW LONG WAS IT BEFORE YOU
STARTED TO THINK THAT THIS WAS
MAYBE GOING TO KILL HIM?
>> I DON’T THINK I EVER THOUGHT
THAT.
THAT. >> Reporter: YOU DIDN’T?
>> HUH-UH.
>> HUH-UH. >> Reporter: EVEN WHEN THEY
SAID HE NEEDS A TRANSPLANT, YOU
DIDN’T FEEL THAT?
>> NO.
>> NO. I DON’T KNOW WHY.
I HAD TWO FRIENDS WHO I MET AND
THEY WERE ALWAYS VERY POSITIVE
AND I KIND OF JUST KEPT --
>> Reporter: THAT POSITIVITY
WORKED OUT.
WORKED OUT. DANIEL BECAME THE RECIPIENT OF A
DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT.
SOMEWHERE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE,
THE GOVERNOR PUT DOWN AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT WAS
DESIGNED TO GET ALL OF THE
FLAVORED VAPING LIQUIDS AWAY
FROM YOUNG PEOPLE.
DID IT HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON
WHETHER YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS
WOULD GET AHOLD OF ANYTHING?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER TO
KIDS, AS MUCH AS LIKE ADULTS
THINK IT DO, WHAT FLAVOR IT IS.
IT’S REALLY JUST THE NICOTINE.
>> Reporter: IN FACT IT WAS
JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE MOVE BY
GOVERNOR WHITMER TO OUTLAW
FLAVORED VAPE PRODUCTS THAT
DANIEL HEADED FOR THE EMERGENCY
ROOM.
ROOM. AND THE THING IS, VAPING HAD
LONG BEEN A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION
IN THE AMENT HOUSE.
TAMMY WAS TERRIFIED OF ALL SHE
HEARD IT COULD DO AND SHE
WORRIED THAT HER 16-YEAR-OLD
TWIN SONS WERE DOING IT.
JUST AS SEEMINGLY ALL OF THEIR
FRIENDS WERE.
FRIENDS WERE. VAPING WAS VERY MUCH IN YOUR
MINE AS BEING A PROBLEM?
>> YES.
>> YES. AND THEY WERE BOTH VERY DISTANT,
IN THEIR ROOMS A LOT.
JUST GONE.
JUST GONE. THEY WOULDN’T TALK.
IT WAS HARD.
THEN, I WAS JUST TRYING TO DEAL
WITH THAT.
WITH THAT. >> Reporter: THERE MAY NOT BE
SUCH A THING AS THE GOOD OLD
DAYS OF SMOKING, BUT AT LEAST IT
MEANT A SMOKY HAZE AND A STRONG
SMELL OF CIGARETTE SMOKE ON
CLOTHING THAT MADE THE HABIT
HARDER TO HIDE.
NOT SO WITH THE WONDEROUS VAPE
PEN WHICH ALLOWS KIDS TO GET
AWAY WITH SMOKING JUST ABOUT
ANYWHERE, EVEN IN CLASS.
>> ALL I HEARD IS OH IT’S SO
MUCH HEALTHIER THAN CIGARETTES,
IT CAN HURT YOU, STUFF LIKE
THAT, AND I TRIED AND IT I
DIDN’T SEE ANY REAL ISSUE, BUT I
WAS STILL TRYING NOT TO DO IT
THAT MUCH BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT
TO GET ADDICTED.
>> Reporter: HE DIDN’T THINK
HE WAS ADDICTED BUT HE ENJOYED
IT AND TRIED VAPING MARIJUANA.
LONG A SAILING FANATIC, HE CAN
NO LONGER SWIM IN ST. CLAIR, TOO
DIRTY FOR HIS IMNEW JERSEY
SUBPOENA.
SUBPOENA. GOING BACK TO SCHOOL SEEMS RISK
WHICH WITH THE FLU SEASON IN
FULL BLOOM.
FULL BLOOM. NONE OF IT WAS WORTH ALL HE’S
BEEN THROUGH.
BEEN THROUGH. >> A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE STILL
ADDICTED TO NICOTINE, SO I’M
TRYING TO GET THEM TO STOP.
A LOT OF MY CONVERSATIONS WITH
THEM ARE STILL LIKE KIND OF
RELATED TO THE SITUATION.
SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST LIKE THEY
JUST DON’T THINK IT WILL HAPPEN
TO THEM, LIKE THEY THEY THEY’RE
INVINCIBLE.
INVINCIBLE. WHICH I HAD FEELINGS LIKE THAT
TOO.
TOO. >> Reporter: YOU WOULD TELL
THEM NOW WHAT?
>> LIKE LOOK AT ME.
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU TALK TO
DANIEL AND HIS MOTHER THERE IS
AN UNSPOKEN SENSE OF FRUSTRATION
IN THE HOUSE, NOT SO MUCH
BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED, BUT
BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING.
DANIELS TWIN BROTHER DAVID IS
HOOKED ON HIS VAPE PEN, AND EVEN
WITH EVERYTHING HE’S WATCHED
HAPPEN HE JUST CAN’T KICK THE
HABIT.
HABIT. >> ANY KID WHO CAME IN, HE WOULD
TELL THEM TO STOP VAPING, AND
DAVID STOPPED FOR A WHILE, THEN
HE STARTED BACK UP.
>> Reporter: WHAT HAVE THESE
CONVERSATIONS BEEN LIKE WITH
DAVID?
DAVID? >> JUST HARD.
>> Reporter: IT IS A VERY
DELICATE TIME IN THE AMENT
HOUSEHOLD RIGHT NOW, BUT DANIEL
IS FOCUSING ON TWO THINGS, FIRST
GETTING BACK TO FULL HEALTH.
BUT SECOND LAUNCHING HIS
NONPROFIT CALLED FIGHT FOR
WELLNESS, AIMED AT HELPING YOUNG
PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE VAPING
HABIT.
HABIT. DEVIN SCILLIAN, LOCAL 4.
I BET THERE’S A LOT OF PARENTS
OUT THERE, LIKE ME, WHO HAVE HAD
THAT EXPUTION NOW RETHINKING THE
ANSWERS YOU GOT FROM YOUR KIDS,
WONDERING WERE THEY BEING
HONEST.
HONEST. >> Anchor: ABSOLUTELY.
HE SAID SOME KIDS EVEN DO IT IN
CLASS, I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW EASY
IT IS.
IT IS. >> Anchor: TO SEE DEVICTIM’S
FIRST STORY THAT AIRED AT 5:00,
IT’S ON CLICKONDETROIT.COM,
ALONG WITH A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR
PARENTS TO HELP DEAL WITH VAPING