Juul E-Cigarettes: A New Threat to Kids

[MarylandQuitter]

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/industry-watch/e-cigarettes

Introduced in 2015, Juul electronic cigarettes have quickly skyrocketed in popularity among teens and college students across the United States, according to widespread news reports. Educators and students report an alarming level of Juul use in middle and high schools, making this an urgent public health problem.

 

Several factors have contributed to Juul’s rising popularity with teens:

• Juul e-cigarettes are sleek, high tech and easy to hide. They look just like USB flash drives and can be charged in the USB port of a computer. They don’t look anything like a traditional tobacco product. A Juul is also small enough to fit in a closed hand.
• Juul comes in sweet flavors that appeal to youth, including mango, fruit medley, crème brulee, cool mint and cool cucumber. Research has shown that flavors play a key role in youth use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
• Juul appears to deliver nicotine more quickly, more effectively and at higher doses than other e-cigarettes, increasing users’ risk of addiction. The manufacturer claims each Juul cartridge of nicotine liquid (called a “Juul pod”) contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes (about 200 puffs).
• However, research has found that many Juul users don’t know the product always contains nicotine, and many teens call use of the product “juuling,” indicating they may not realize it is an e-cigarette or tobacco product.

 

Juul sales have grown dramatically and now make up more than half the e-cigarette market.

 

Juul is putting kids at risk of nicotine addiction and threatens to undermine decades of progress in reducing youth tobacco use:

• A 2016 Surgeon General’s report concluded that youth use of nicotine in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe, can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain.
• A January 2018 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded, “There is substantial evidence that e-cigarette use increases risk of ever using combustible tobacco cigarettes among youth and young adults.”

 

The alarming increase in youth use of Juul requires strong and immediate action by the Food and Drug Administration to protect kids. The FDA is responsible for regulating tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and the FDA must take action to address the skyrocketing youth use of Juul.