Not So Cuul

Since releasing Juuls about two years ago, high school students across the country made it the most popular form of e-cigarette on the market. Many former users of vapes switched over after finding Juuls are smaller and release less vapor. The issue with this is that Juul promotes itself as “the satisfying alternative to cigarettes,” but teens beginning to use them are exposing themselves to the addictive substance: nicotine. Juuls get the juice to smoke from “pods” that are disposable and bought in four-packs for $15.99. In each pod, there is the equivalent amount of nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.

The most attractive part of the trending smoking device is the look; they appear almost as USB flash drives. Although recently, many teens have been outraged to find out that some people on social media platforms claimed that their friends became diagnosed with cancer from smoking Juuls. Shortly after the posts went viral and students went crazy, Juul released a statement to deflect the accusations. Cancer turned out to be nothing more than a rumor, but it brought up the problem of users who are underage. Juul made it clear that their mission is to, “eliminate combustible cigarettes, and  was founded to provide the 1 billion smokers worldwide a true alternative to cigarettes that enables them to switch permanently.” They also made clear they “do not want teens using Juul. Products are designed for adults smokers to switch.” Although e-cigarettes have significant benefits for adults, who search for ways to either slow down, quit, or find alternatives to cigarettes.

Dr. Harold J Farber, associates of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and pulmonologist at Texas Children’s Hospital stated that consuming too much nicotine causes a stunt in brain development in young teen and children. Nicotine can act as a neurotoxin and alter brain chemistry. It is very addictive and can cause acute withdrawal periods. Although Juuls have great benefits to those turning away from cigarettes, they act as a lesser evil to those beginning at this level due to the amount of nicotine. Most students did not realize the amount of nicotine they were intaking when they started to Juul or even vape. Even in vape juices that advertised “nicotine free,” were found to have traces of the substance in them by many scientists. It was, and never will be “just water vapor” inhaled into the lung through e-cigarettes or vapes, there are many chemicals, irritants, and toxins in the juice or pods. The chemicals in them put users at greater risk to contract a pulmonary bacterial disease, such as pneumonia, that causes bacteria to stick to cells lining the airway. Students all over the country, on social media, argue that the ingredient that “caused cancer” is only harmful when heated to a certain temperature and cannot cause the malignancy through Juuling. Doctors from all over encourage everyone to breathe oxygen, and not put harmful smoke or vapor into their airways so the respiratory system can stay clean and work properly.