Sarasota mother shares daughter’s story to warn others about the dangers of vaping

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota mother shares daughter’s story to warn others about the dangers of vaping.

A Sarasota County mother is speaking out about the loss of her daughter, hoping her family’s story will help prevent other young people from becoming addicted to vaping.

For Erin NesSmith, the dangers of vaping were not something she expected to face as a parent.

“As a parent we all know that you need to educate your kids on smoking and drinking and drugs, but who knew back then that you had to talk about vaping,” NesSmith said.

Her daughter, Ashlynn, was a vibrant teenager who loved softball and music. According to her mother, she was energetic, outgoing and full of potential.

But shortly after starting high school, Ashlynn began experiencing seizures.

“When we were going to the doctors in the beginning it was just, she has seizures. There was no rhyme or reason for it,” NesSmith said.

What began as occasional episodes eventually became daily seizures, some so severe they left her unable to breathe.

NesSmith says Ashlynn started vaping at age 14 and became addicted to nicotine. Just before her 21st birthday, Ashlynn died in her sleep after suffering a seizure.

“Her cause of death was a grand mal seizure in her sleep. When she was vaping she was having grand mal seizures,” NesSmith said.

As her family searched for answers, NesSmith says she began learning more about the potential health risks associated with e-cigarettes.

“More and more came out about the dangers of vaping. There was a link of increased seizures in teens specifically that were linked to using the Juul,” she said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported seizures following e-cigarette use, particularly among youth and young adults. Federal health officials continue to study the potential relationship between vaping, nicotine exposure and neurological symptoms.

Local family medicine physician Dr. Alysson Klein says the level of nicotine addiction he is seeing among children and teens is increasingly concerning.

“The level of addiction that we’re seeing with some of these electronic vaping devices that we have, they’re 12, 13, 15 years old, and the level of addiction is like someone who’s been smoking for 20 years,” Klein said.

Klein says vaping can have both immediate and long-term health consequences.

“You’re more prone to allergies, asthma, and things that will exacerbate breathing and viral illness. But eventually it could lead obviously to serious hospitalization, having to go on a ventilator and potentially even death,” he said.

He also believes conversations about vaping should extend beyond parents and educators.

“If you know people that are vaping and they think that’s the cool thing to do or they peer pressure you to do it, you can be that friend that can change and make them realize that this is not the best choice for their lives,” Klein said.

Years after losing her daughter, NesSmith says sharing Ashlynn’s story has become her mission.

“If I can inform another parent about the dangers of it, then I’ve done my job and I feel it’s my duty to share my story,” she said.

As concerns about youth vaping continue to grow, Sarasota County Schools are taking steps to address the issue.

The school district recently approved a pilot program at North Port High School that will install vape detection devices in student restrooms. School leaders hope the technology will help identify vaping incidents and reduce nicotine use among students.

District officials say the program is part of a broader effort to address what they describe as a growing challenge facing schools across the country.

Ashlynn’s family has also pursued legal action.

In 2019, her parents filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs and other tobacco companies, alleging the company marketed its products to teenagers and contributed to youth nicotine addiction. According to the family, the lawsuit remains ongoing.

For families struggling with nicotine addiction and vaping, help is available.

Parents of children and teens who are addicted to vaping can text 202-899-7550 for support and resources designed to help young people quit nicotine products.

Adults looking to quit vaping or other tobacco products can find free resources, counseling and cessation programs through Tobacco Free Florida at TobaccoFreeFlorida.com.

Health experts say early intervention and open conversations about nicotine addiction can play an important role in helping young people break the habit before it leads to long-term health consequences.