Recently the FDA hit Juul labs with more regulations to keep them out of the hands of teens, and these were made with good reason. Teens should stay away from the e-cigarette as it poses a danger to their health.
E-cigarettes, specifically Juuls, are appealing to teens because they are easy to get and offer a euphoric “buzz” sensation. Juul pods are offered in a variety of flavors such as fruit medley, mint, mango and creme. The tasty flavors are another pull factor for many minors to begin using these nicotine products that are designed to help smokers quit.
Even though Juuls are seen as “less dangerous” than regular cigarettes, they still pose a threat to your health. Nicotine can permanently lower impulse control, harm the part of the brain that controls the attention span, cause lung damage, mood disorders and insulin resistance.
Using e-cigs can lead to using actual cigarettes. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 30.7 percent of e-cigarette users started smoking within 6 months. One Juul pod contains roughly the same amount of nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. Another study done by Stanford Medical School found that teens who reported using tobacco products had reported using Juuls twice as often as smoking regular cigarettes.
Juuls will soon become less accessible to teens as their products are being pulled from gas stations and convenience stores. Juul Labs also announced that they would suspend all of their flavors except mint, tobacco and menthol. They also will discontinue social media advertisement, as it’s been criticized as being targeted towards teenagers.
While changes are being made to get Juuls out of the hands of teens they are not enough, the only change that can help is education. Juuls are dangerous to teens and just as addictive as cigarettes.
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