Teen ‘Juuling’ Is on the Rise, and It Has Become a Problem in Schools

Cigarette sales have hit an all-time low! The use of tobacco has been steady on the decline for the past 20 years as more and more research has come out about the negative effects one a person’s health. However, there is a new smoking epidemic on the rise that has captured the attention of teens: Juuling. This term refers to the highly popular JUUL vape that looks like a USB flash drive and can easily be hidden in pockets and smoked without much notice.

Since 2014, more teenagers have turned to e-cigarettes or vapes than smoking actual cigarettes, which is a trend that is continuing to increase. In fact, according to a survey from the Truth Initiative, one in five middle schoolers and high schoolers have seen JUULs being used while at school.

More and more teens have access to these addictive vaping devices, and continue to believe that e-cigarette and vaping products are a safer form of smoking than cigarettes. To prevent more teens from becoming the e-cigarette industry’s favored demographic for sales, it is important to learn the dangers of JUULs and keeping them out of the hands of teenagers.

How Are Adolescents Getting Their Hands on JUUL?

Most states require you to be 18 or older to buy nicotine and tobacco products (some states require people to be 21). So how could 11 percent of high school students in 2017 once within the last 30 days? The simple answer is that JUULs are widely available to buy in places that don’t require customers to be 18 to enter inside such as gas stations. Children are also getting around the age restrictions by buying them online.

Purchasing vaping devices online is as easy as checking a box saying that you are 18 or older and putting in a credit card number. Adolescents have also asked their classmates or adults to buy JUULs for them in stores. As we’ve seen time and time again, teens will go to extremes to fit in without knowing the consequences of their choices.

What Are the Dangers of Teens Juuling?

A single JUUL pod is five percent nicotine and can last to approximately 200 puffs. While five percent may not sound like much, one pod contains the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. With user-friendly flavors such as mint, crème, and mango, JUULs make the intake of nicotine more enjoyable, which makes them easier to become addicted to for people of all ages. A few side effects of nicotine include:

• Dehydration
• Tremors
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Hormone Imbalance
• Rapid Heart Rate

JUUL does not have any nicotine-free products or give you much control over how much nicotine is in each pod. This means that JUULs users are being encouraged by the manufacturers to take in high levels of nicotine and unknowingly becoming a lifelong customer to the e-cigarette industry with their new addiction.

What Can You Do About Teen Juuling?

Because JUUL addictions are hidden behind appealing vapor scents, it is harder to deter our teens from JUULs and e-cigarettes than from regular tobacco products. Parents, teachers, and school administers also face the common problem of detecting underaged teens Juuling. However, that should not discourage people from taking the next steps to prevent JUULs from getting into the hands of teenagers.

Like the steps we have taken to encourage our youth to not succumb to peer pressure with drugs and alcohol, we must also include JUULs and other e-cigarette products in our peer pressure discussions. Additionally, influencers need to teach children about the dangers of nicotine addiction and how it can negatively affect their minds.

To educate teens and adolescents about the dangers of Juuling for your school or medical office, you can order Primo Prevention’s Juuling prevention brochures to help make our teens think twice before being tricked into becoming addicted to nicotine. These small efforts can make a big difference in preventing more JUULs from getting into the hands of our teenagers.