by Cade Smith
Everyone’s probably heard of what a Juul is and have seen people use them, or perhaps you use one yourself. There has been a large spike recently of people using Juuls, since their release in 2015.
The effects of Juuls are different than cigarettes, but still have negative effects. They are healthier for your lungs and throat because they don’t leave tar from the tobacco, but are still as addictive as cigarettes because of the amount of nicotine inside of the pods. That is only one effect of the Juul. Since it came out recently, there is not much research showing negative effects of the vape.
Our school isn’t the only one with problems with students using Juuls. Since the traditional Juul looks like a flash drive, some schools even banned flash drives. I believe that students like to use Juuls because of the trend and the nicotine, just like why people are addicted to cigarettes. I notice people using them a lot, like in the bathrooms and on buses. There are probably more people using them at home.
In the beginning of the year, students were given a handbook of the school rules, which states the the use of electronic cigarettes is against school policy.
Like most know, the Juul is an electronic cigarette. I think Juul usage is more than vape usage because it fits in the hand for concealment and the vapors that come out disperse quicker than a vape.
The school should be more strict on use of Juuls. This is according to a Fox News story written in 2015. Some other schools are getting stricter on punishments for having or using a Juul. Some of the punishments that are given at some schools are detention, a letter home, and sometimes a tobacco education class. Some states are grouping the devices in with bongs and pipes, which can cause students to face long suspensions and required drug tests and a note of it on their record.
The installation of more cameras could help keep students from vaping in the building, but many students use Juuls in the bathroom. Unfortunately, there is no way of catching students in the bathroom unless a staff member is there, since it’s illegal to put cameras in the bathroom.
According to Scott Gottlieb, the chief of the FDA, Juuls and electronic cigarettes are epidemics. One of the ways people can get a Juul and the pods that fuel them are found online, or bought from someone that is old enough to buy them.
Students might not be buying Juuls from fellow classmates though, and there should be a way to stop buying electronic cigarettes like Juuls online. The FDA has been working with EBay to keep Juul products from being purchased online by minors to help the epidemic. Then the only way to buy a Juul or electronic cigarette is in a store face to face with a ID showing you’re 18 or older. For Juuls or any electronic cigarette to be refilled you have to be 18 or older.
I think the Juul could be a trend to look “cool” or to “fit in”, but there might be another reason. Maybe the use of Juuls will die down soon and be replaced like other trends, or it could last longer than most trends.