Over the past two years, Juuls have had a major influence on teenagers. Juuls are small vape devices resembling a USB drive, originally intended to help adults stop smoking. However, teenagers have taken advantage of the e-cigarette, many relying on it to the point of addiction. Vaping exposes users to fewer chemicals and toxins than a traditional cigarette, but this does not mean they are less dangerous. Truth Initiative, a nonprofit anti-tobacco organization, said, “One Juul cartridge has the the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a video intended to scare teens to quit vaping, but it inadvertently promoted vaping instead. . The amount of teens vaping presented in the video made vaping seem ‘popular’ and ‘cool’, thus encouraging teens to continue to vape. Teenage e-cigarette use led to the FDA threatening to ban Juuls unless stores make new regulations on how many are sold and who they are sold to.
Students have mixed opinions over Juuls and vaping, though the general attitude seems to be one of indifference or reluctant acceptance. Sophomore Camden Haga said, “I just do not understand why they are so popular. I don’t care if people or teens use them; that’s none of my business. However, I personally will not use one.”
Meanwhile, Brentley Sorgmann, another sophomore at Bowling Green High School, said, “I think [Juuls] are a good thing when it comes to helping someone stop smoking… I also think that it is bad for someone underage to get one, although I do not think there is a way to stop kids from getting them unless they stop making them.”
Teenagers have become accustomed to vaping on a day to day basis, and companies like Juul benefit. Juul has gained more than $1 billion in sales within a 52 week period, and 15% of these sales were to teenagers. No one under the age of 18 is able to purchase a Juul, but according to Laurie McGinley, a reporter for The Washington Post, the FDA conducted undercover operations and discovered that many national retailers, including convenience stores, gas stations and vape shops, were illegally selling Juuls to minors.
Freshman Hezekiah Pendley said, “I think that Juuls are modeled as an epidemic because the outbreak and need for them occurs very rapidly, and I believe they should not be promoted to minors.”
Many adults use Juuls for what they were created for - as a way to quit smoking - but teens across the country Juul at sporting events, parties, and other occasions regardless of the intended use. Unless legislators pass laws with stricter regulation, whether on a local, state, or federal level, Juul use among teenagers will continue to create controversy among adolescents and adults alike.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a video intended to scare teens to quit vaping, but it inadvertently promoted vaping instead. . The amount of teens vaping presented in the video made vaping seem ‘popular’ and ‘cool’, thus encouraging teens to continue to vape. Teenage e-cigarette use led to the FDA threatening to ban Juuls unless stores make new regulations on how many are sold and who they are sold to.
Students have mixed opinions over Juuls and vaping, though the general attitude seems to be one of indifference or reluctant acceptance. Sophomore Camden Haga said, “I just do not understand why they are so popular. I don’t care if people or teens use them; that’s none of my business. However, I personally will not use one.”
Meanwhile, Brentley Sorgmann, another sophomore at Bowling Green High School, said, “I think [Juuls] are a good thing when it comes to helping someone stop smoking… I also think that it is bad for someone underage to get one, although I do not think there is a way to stop kids from getting them unless they stop making them.”
Teenagers have become accustomed to vaping on a day to day basis, and companies like Juul benefit. Juul has gained more than $1 billion in sales within a 52 week period, and 15% of these sales were to teenagers. No one under the age of 18 is able to purchase a Juul, but according to Laurie McGinley, a reporter for The Washington Post, the FDA conducted undercover operations and discovered that many national retailers, including convenience stores, gas stations and vape shops, were illegally selling Juuls to minors.
Freshman Hezekiah Pendley said, “I think that Juuls are modeled as an epidemic because the outbreak and need for them occurs very rapidly, and I believe they should not be promoted to minors.”
Many adults use Juuls for what they were created for - as a way to quit smoking - but teens across the country Juul at sporting events, parties, and other occasions regardless of the intended use. Unless legislators pass laws with stricter regulation, whether on a local, state, or federal level, Juul use among teenagers will continue to create controversy among adolescents and adults alike.
By Haley Hamilton