JUUL E-Cigarettes Have Spread to Seattle Middle and High Schools
The FDA is stepping up efforts against JUUL, an e-cigarette brand that has become extremely popular among middle and high school students. Many teenagers use the product in school parking lots and other areas, raising growing concerns about youth vaping.
Recently, the FDA has been cracking down hard on JUUL, an e-cigarette brand that has become extremely popular among middle and high school students. Many teenagers use them in school parking lots, bathrooms, and even classrooms. It could be said to be one of the trendiest things among U.S. middle and high school students in recent years.
Back in our own school days, from elementary school through high school, different fads came and went every year. That is why so many nostalgic snack and toy gift packs from the post-80s and post-90s generations keep appearing. Do you remember when shoes with a wheel in the heel were all the rage? Gliding through the school hallway in them felt incredibly cool! In order to keep up with trends and avoid being left out, many students would follow the crowd and buy whatever was popular in class at the time.
However, when that trendy item becomes an e-cigarette, the issue is no longer so simple.
JUUL's manufacturer says the product was originally intended to help adults quit smoking, but teenagers have become JUUL's biggest customer base.
Bellevue police officer Jeff Borsheim said that this e-cigarette has even shown up at Bellevue High School.
A senior at Eastlake High School said he first used an e-cigarette before 8th grade. Although he is now of legal age to buy e-cigarette products, he said the product is so popular that students in nearly every grade use it.
Since JUUL first launched in 2015, it has come to account for more than half of U.S. e-cigarette sales, with teenagers as its main consumer group. The owner of a local vaping shop in Seattle said he often throws out underage teens and confiscates their fake IDs.
One of the biggest reasons JUUL became the "king of campus" is its appearance. JUUL looks like a slim black electronic device, much like a USB flash drive. When questioned by teachers, most students simply say, "It's my USB drive." They not only charge it during class, but even use it in class. Because JUUL does not produce much vapor, it is difficult to catch them in the act.
Teens only need to take a puff or blow lightly to keep the vapor in their mouths for a while. Combined with JUUL's many fruit flavors and nicotine's strong hit, many teens find it hard to resist. Yet they often do not believe they are addicted to nicotine, even though one full JUUL pod is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes.
In Washington state's latest Healthy Youth Survey, one in five seniors said they had used e-cigarettes in the past month. Only about one-third of 10th graders said they believe e-cigarettes are dangerous. Some teens even said e-cigarettes are a gateway to other "drugs," such as marijuana.
Although some students said e-cigarettes helped them quit cigarettes and other drugs, one student said he has been trying to educate others on campus about the dangers of nicotine. But he said he would never use e-cigarettes on campus, because he does not want to be suspended for doing something foolish.
At present, JUUL's manufacturer firmly insists that it is not marketing to teenagers. The company is actively engaging with lawmakers to discuss how to keep young people away from JUUL, and it supports raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21.
As for parents, one way to keep children away from JUUL is to make sure they do not have too much free time or too much spending money. If you discover that your child has one of these e-cigarettes, be sure to guide them with the right educational approach to avoid triggering the opposite effect!
Back in our own school days, from elementary school through high school, different fads came and went every year. That is why so many nostalgic snack and toy gift packs from the post-80s and post-90s generations keep appearing. Do you remember when shoes with a wheel in the heel were all the rage? Gliding through the school hallway in them felt incredibly cool! In order to keep up with trends and avoid being left out, many students would follow the crowd and buy whatever was popular in class at the time.
However, when that trendy item becomes an e-cigarette, the issue is no longer so simple.JUUL's manufacturer says the product was originally intended to help adults quit smoking, but teenagers have become JUUL's biggest customer base.
Bellevue police officer Jeff Borsheim said that this e-cigarette has even shown up at Bellevue High School.
A senior at Eastlake High School said he first used an e-cigarette before 8th grade. Although he is now of legal age to buy e-cigarette products, he said the product is so popular that students in nearly every grade use it.
Since JUUL first launched in 2015, it has come to account for more than half of U.S. e-cigarette sales, with teenagers as its main consumer group. The owner of a local vaping shop in Seattle said he often throws out underage teens and confiscates their fake IDs.
One of the biggest reasons JUUL became the "king of campus" is its appearance. JUUL looks like a slim black electronic device, much like a USB flash drive. When questioned by teachers, most students simply say, "It's my USB drive." They not only charge it during class, but even use it in class. Because JUUL does not produce much vapor, it is difficult to catch them in the act.
Teens only need to take a puff or blow lightly to keep the vapor in their mouths for a while. Combined with JUUL's many fruit flavors and nicotine's strong hit, many teens find it hard to resist. Yet they often do not believe they are addicted to nicotine, even though one full JUUL pod is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes.
In Washington state's latest Healthy Youth Survey, one in five seniors said they had used e-cigarettes in the past month. Only about one-third of 10th graders said they believe e-cigarettes are dangerous. Some teens even said e-cigarettes are a gateway to other "drugs," such as marijuana.
Although some students said e-cigarettes helped them quit cigarettes and other drugs, one student said he has been trying to educate others on campus about the dangers of nicotine. But he said he would never use e-cigarettes on campus, because he does not want to be suspended for doing something foolish.At present, JUUL's manufacturer firmly insists that it is not marketing to teenagers. The company is actively engaging with lawmakers to discuss how to keep young people away from JUUL, and it supports raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21.
As for parents, one way to keep children away from JUUL is to make sure they do not have too much free time or too much spending money. If you discover that your child has one of these e-cigarettes, be sure to guide them with the right educational approach to avoid triggering the opposite effect!
