More than a decade after the Great Recession, employment within the construction sector continues to lag behind pre-recession levels. Following the housing market crash in 2008, construction jobs experienced a significant decline, with the full impact not being realized until January 2011 when the share of total employment hit a 30-year low of just 4.15%. Since then, employment in construction has grown steadily—though it varies significantly across the country. Researchers ranked metros and states by each location’s percentage of total employment in the construction industry in Q3 2023, the latest data available.

In this article, Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine, shares her expert insights of the findings and provides Indiana residents with evidence-based recommendations for protecting their health.Why This Matters to YouNew research reveals a troubling connection between frequent vaping in teens and their higher exposure to dangerous metals such as lead and uranium.What This Means for Your Health"These metals can harm brain and organ development! Vaping is not good or healthy!" Dr. Puja Uppal, Family MedicineDoctor's Expert Insights About The Vaping and Your Brain Health in Vigo County, IndianaKnow this: "Look, during adolescence the brain is still developing. Many people may not realize that exposure to toxic metals such as lead and uranium can lead to cognitive impairments, behavioral issues, and other severe health complications. The research also found that certain flavored e-cigarettes, which are designed to be more palatable, contain even higher levels of toxic substances in them.Exposure to chronic low-level lead exposure has been linked to poor cardiovascular, renal, cognitive, and reproductive outcomes. And, chronic uranium exposure can cause local cytotoxic effects and renal tubular toxicity. Not good!Parents and healthcare professionals must start emphasizing the importance stopping e-cigarette use--especially among teens." Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine.Actionable Steps: What You Can Do NextFurther steps: The American Lung Association offers excellent resources to facilitate discussions about vaping cessation among parents, their children, and healthcare providers. (Visit Resource Here)Talk to your healthcare team. Health News Today: Regular vaping among teenagers could increase their risk of exposure to harmful metals like lead and uranium.This study investigated factors associated with biomarkers of metal exposure (cadmium, lead, uranium) in adolescent e-cigarette users and assessed metal biomarker levels by vaping frequency and e-cigarette flavors used.The Science Made Simple: Key Findings and What They Mean for Vigo County ResidentsData SourceData were drawn from Wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Youth Panel. This dataset is a nationally representative sample of US adolescents aged 13-17 years.Participant CharacteristicsThe study included 200 exclusive e-cigarette users (median age 15.9 years, 62.9% female). They were further categorized by vaping frequency: occasional (1-5 days), intermittent (6-19 days), and frequent (20+ days) in the past 30 days.Vaping Frequency and Metal ExposureThe average number of recent puffs per day increased exponentially with vaping frequency. Intermittent and frequent users had higher urine lead levels compared to occasional users. And, frequent users had higher urine uranium levels compared to occasional users.E-cigarette Flavors and Metal ExposureOverall flavor preferences were 33% menthol/mint, 49.8% fruit, and 15.3% sweet. Surprisingly, the research found that sweet flavor users having higher uranium levels compared to menthol/mint flavor users. The levels of cadmium remained high across vaping frequency or flavor types.Keep in mind: The findings of this study will need further scrutiny--but they do add to the body of knowledge that vaping does expose our bodies to dangerous chemicals and metals.Medical News Today: What This Means for Your Health in Vigo County, IndianaThe Bottom Line: This study provides evidence that more frequent e-cigarette use and flavored e-cigarettes are associated with increased exposure to lead and uranium among adolescents."Candy-flavoured e-cigarette products make up a substantial proportion of adolescent vapers, and sweet taste in e-cigarettes can suppress the harsh effects of nicotine and enhance its reinforcing effects, resulting in heightened brain cue-reactivity." Hongying (Daisy) Dai, PhD. (Study Editorial)What They're Saying: "In a global burden of disease analysis, Larsen and Sanchez-Triana described how chronic low-level lead exposure is a major health concern with significant effects on cardiovascular and neurocognitive outcomes.12 This is concerning for adolescents who use e-cigarette products, as lead affects cognitive and psychiatric development and has also been shown to biodistribute into the brain in mouse models exposed to e-cigarette aerosols.13 14 Cadmium exposure increases the risk for osteoporosis. It acts as a major carcinogen through multiple biochemical mechanisms, with a particular risk for neoplasms of the nasopharynx, lung, breast, pancreas, prostate, and bladder.15" (Study Source)Read More Silent Killer in Flagstaff. Heart Disease. Doctors ExplainHealth Standard Newswire: E-cigarettes, vaping, have become the most common way for young people to consume nicotine.Health Facts That Matter: Key Statistics for Vigo County, IndianaThe following health facts impact your physical health directly!Did you know there were 13983 deaths from cancer in Indiana in 2021?23.6% of you in Vigo County are smokers.23.4% of you in Vigo County have depression.16.4% of you in Vigo County are binge drinkers.All of these variables above play an important role in the outcomes of your overall health.The Health Standard Newswire.