The Illinois Department of Public Health reported the state’s fourth casualty from a vaping-related illness on Nov. 14, serving as a reminder of the dangers of vaping.

November is recognized by the Lung Cancer Foundation of America as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, where communities are encouraged to spread the message of increasing lung cancer research and keep people informed on the deadly nature of the disease.

A number of organizations have made it easier to join the fight, including the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, which offers three ways to boost awareness.

Share the facts

The LCFA recommends sharing facts about lung cancer on social media. The LCFA has provided a list of statistics to use, such as:

• Nearly 160,000 lives are lost annually to lung cancer.
• Lung cancer kills 196 women every day; that’s eight per hour or one every seven minutes.
• Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer.

Wear the ribbon

According to the LCFA website, white or pearl is the color of the Lung Cancer Awareness ribbon. Wearing this ribbon throughout the month may serve as a conversation starter to get people interested in the cause. To spread the message further, NIU community members can also share a photo of themselves wearing the ribbon to social media, with an appropriate hashtag such as #Huskies4LCAM.

Donate to lung cancer research

According to the LCFA, the final way to raise awareness for lung cancer is by donating to lung cancer research and encouraging others to do the same. In addition to the LCFA, other charitable organizations that place their funds toward lung cancer research are the American Lung Association, the LUNGevity Foundation and the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.