Juul smoking has grown as a trend in the past 4 years for young adults and other generations in their social and job settings for not only their convenience and high nicotine levels but also because of the widespread influence of the Juul itself.
What may appear as just a harmless USB looking device, actually can cause a huge burst of nicotine to the brain. Recently there has been a lot of controversy around the Juul along with efforts from the FDA to take it off the market.
According to Time Magazine, the Juul has been accused of making flavors that appeal to youthful users. Why would the FDA come to this claim? Well, let’s take a look at how Juul Labs has taken over the market for nicotine users and let’s also analyze who exactly is carrying these new aged vape pens.
The Juul has been precisely designed for cigarette smokers to switch their habits to a more convenient and harmless alternative. According to Juul Labs in their “Our Technology” page from their website, these Juul pods contain Propylene Glycol, nicotine, benzoic acids, and flavoring.
Also according to Juul labs, they have taken ten years of data to design their product to its full ability. Each pod contains 59 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter of liquid. The use of Juul nicotine salts is what separates this device from other E-cigarettes which rely only on vaporizing juice.
In an article from TobaccoFreeKids.org, about the new popularity in Juul smoking, they mention that E-cigarettes, in general, have had insufficient research for long-term effects amongst users, so despite the dilemma being spread that Vaping is just as bad for your health, there is no accurate proof.
The Juul is not the first e-cigarette to surface amongst teens and young adults. For there are numerous different kinds of E-cigarettes that have hit the streets. According to TobaccoControl.bmj.com, E-cigarette sales have increased significantly since 2011 in which retail sales were 19 million and now increased to 409 million at the end of 2017. Also according to the same source, there are four key growth periods in which E-cigarettes have increased.
The first was in 2012, which was driven by a variety of brands. The second was at the beginning of 2013, which was mainly driven by the brands Blu and Njoy. The third trend was driven by the Vuse brand in 2014, and finally, in the 2nd quarter of 2017, the growth was triggered by Juul Labs.
Now in 2018, the Juul is the newest fad with its popular 5% more strength nicotine levels. Many different versions of vaporizing pens have surfaced and disappeared while the trend has gotten more complex within its own culture with kids comparing and competing with who has the best vape.
Many old smokers have switched to the Juul in which Juul labs has dedicated a whole page outlined with pictures of their dedicated members with their quotes posted on the Page talking about how the Juul has affected their lives. Some of these quotes include users like Luis and Alexis from the community page.
“It’s super convenient”Luis, 40.
“My JUUL means the world to me. It gives me total freedom from being embarrassed if I need a smoke break,” Alexis,34.
With so many young adults who are unaccounted for by Juul labs, it’s no secret that youths are using the Juul more than the community accounted for. There are also claims that suggest that Juul labs have marketed their products towards the youth with colorful advertisement and appealing flavors, according to TobaccoFreeKids.Org. TobbacoFreeKids.Org also reports that Kids in High School are being caught with the Juul and even brag about hitting it in class and other public places.
In a recent interview with Stanislaus States Clery & Compliance Director, Kelli Marshal, I asked if there have been any problems with the Juul use or any electronic cigarette use on campus, in which she responded, that the issue of the Juul was actually brought up at the ‘Campus Smoke and Tobacco Free Task Force meeting last year.’
“Stanislaus State went Smoke and Tobacco Free September 1, 2017. At the first of every semester since then, we have about a handful of individuals that we come across smoking various types of cigarettes, tobacco and electronic.” To add onto that, Marshal also says “once we share with them that Stanislaus State is smoke and tobacco-free, most indicate that they did not know and discontinue the practice of smoking on campus.”
This whole scenario is really just a repeated behavior that occurs with all other vape products over the years. When I talked to Juul user Maddie Nicholas (20), she explained how she loves the convenience of the Juul and also the lack of smell that cigarettes leave. Although she still uses cigarettes from time to time, it’s also about the social setting that encourages the activity.
“When you go to a college party, bar, or anywhere with young people, you’re most likely going to see someone with a Juul and people are most likely going to ask them to hit it,”
Not only did she first start smoking cigarettes in High School but she also had other Vape modulators like the V8 back in 2017. Generally, it’s the older adults 31+ who smoke Juuls as an alternative to cigarettes while younger adults smoke the Juul for the nicotine fix during social scenarios, especially indoors.
Juul user April Francisco (21) explains to me her reason for Juul smoking and how it started with cigarettes in High School. “I can smoke this and get the head rush I need to go throughout my day whether I’m at work, class, or any other setting. The convenience of the Juul is a curse for it is very addicting. She adds “I go through pods very quickly in a short amount of time.”
In the end, Juul sales will reach their peak. The Juul will not last forever and right now it’s in its highest rate of consumer consumption despite its high strength pods being banned elsewhere around the world. Annually, Juul pulls in more than 650 million dollars in retail sales and more than 100 million quarterly. Now FDA is putting pressure on Juul labs to prove that they haven’t marketed towards the youth. According to TobaccoFreeKids, In April of 2018, the FDA sent a letter to Juul Labs requesting information on their marketing practices. The FDA is probing deep on the Juul and may take it off the market if it doesn’t follow their guidelines and limitations.
