Juul, Sloan Kenter

Juul

Sloan Kenter

The key word that I am choosing to relate towards youth and adolescence is “juul”. A juul is an object; it’s a small electronic cigarette that has an appearance similar to a USB drive. The juul’s history is quite short, as it was first released in June, 2015. Its name is derived from the company that produces it: JUUL. However, the verb “to juul” has become popular amongst adolescents since the late 2010’s. When one inhales from the tip of a juul, a vapor is produced that is derived from the juul “pod” that contains its juice. This process is called “juuling”. The makeup of juul vapor, the vaporized juice, is composed of glycerin, an amount of nicotine, and flavouring. While juuls have proven to be a healthier alternative for nicotine-addicted individuals who smoke cigarettes, many non-smoking and underage teenagers from Generation Z have picked up on the fad of juuling. The company JUUL offers a variety of juul pod flavours such as mint, mango, and crème to appeal to younger users (Bach, p.1). As juuls are presented as “safer” in contrast to tobacco cigarettes, the product is seen by some teenagers as harmless. However, the idea that juuling lacks any negative impact towards adolescents’ health is unproven. Studies have shown that teenagers have become addicted to juuling, in a way that is similar to that of smoking. There are concerns that the juul can function as a gateway towards other substances, such as cigarettes and marijuana. In fact, vape devices that contain marijuana oil pods have already become popular in recent years. As we know, peer pressure plays a major part in adolescents' lives; drug and substance abuse often occur as a result. Sadly, while the company JUUL claims that its social media advertising is directed towards adult smokers, their advertisements have primarily reached teenagers aged 15-17 (Wagoner, p.1). This fact ties in with the way that adolescents usually find access and interest in products: social media advertisements. Juul addiction helps demonstrate how adolescents cope with stress in their lives.

For example, one student mentioned ““The reason I started was some bad things going on. My parents divorced and it helped me calm down” (Wagoner, p.6). Perhaps, some adolescents believe that juuls are the safest choice for addiction in comparison to drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, adolescents who find themselves addicted to juuls may have a hard time quitting. This is because teenagers may have a hard time finding the resources to quit. As a young adolescent, it is illegal to juul, as the legal age to juul is 21 in the United States and 19 in Canada. This leaves underage adolescents with the option of eschewing juuling and most likely defying peer pressure, and/or risking admitting their behaviour to their parent(s)/guardian(s) and getting into trouble/receving punishment (Wagoner, p.7). While juuling has decreased in highschools by 19.6% since 2020 (Bach, p.2), this statistic does not take into account the lack of in-person learning in high schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, teachers, educators, and parents should be aware of the trends and dangers regarding vaping. Above all, it is illegal for adolescents to juul. While it is important for adolescents to take risks, they should be encouraged to take risks that are not detrimental to their mental and physical health.

Work Cited

Bach, Laura. “JUUL and Youth: Rising E-Cigarette Popularity.” Tobacco-Free Kids, 2021. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0394.pdf.

Wagoner, K. G., King, J. L., Alexander, A., Tripp, H. L., & Sutfin, E. L. (2021). Adolescent Use and Perceptions of JUUL and Other Pod-Style e-Cigarettes: A Qualitative Study to Inform Prevention. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), 4843. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094843