|
|
 |
|
The views expressed on this page are soley
those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the views of County
News Online
|
 |
Start Talking!
Know! Warning -
JUUL at Your School
3/21/2018
There is a new trend parents and school administrators need to be aware
of, and it is called JUUL. It’s what some people are referring to as
the iPhone of vaping. It is a device so discreet that it often goes
unseen and teens are getting away with using it in public places.
JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that looks like a flash drive and
charges by USB. The product can be ordered online by anyone claiming to
be 21 or older. It is inexpensive, easy to use, and features nicotine
pods that come in a variety of kid-friendly flavors like crème brûlée,
mango, and fruit medley. Just one of these pods is equivalent to an
entire pack of traditional cigarettes.
“Hitting the JUUL” is said to give users a nicotine head rush, and many
students are brazen enough to do it in the middle of the classroom.
They take a puff, then either swallow the vapor – known as ‘ghosting’ –
or exhale it into their hoodie when the teacher isn’t looking. The
subtle smell (if any) can be easily mistaken for someone’s light
perfume.
How do we know teens are using these devices in school? Social media of
course! Many students proudly record and share videos of them or their
friends using a JUUL for their peers and beyond to see. Other students
post to forums about how easy it is to acquire a JUUL device.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2017 Monitoring
the Future survey, nearly 1 in 3 students in 12th grade reported past
year use of some kind of vaping device. This upward trend includes
younger teens as well, which raises concerns about the impact on their
health.
Young people apparently consider JUULing a class above other types of
vaping, and many believe it to be safer as well. Health experts say
that while electronic cigarettes in general may be less dangerous than
traditional tobacco cigarettes, they are certainly not safe.
Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and
Education at the University of California, San Francisco, says
e-cigarette vapors are toxic and can trigger inflammation linked to
asthma, stroke, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Nicotine is dangerous. Inhaled nicotine increases heart rate and blood
pressure, is highly addictive, may lead to changes in the developing
adolescent brain, and may increase the risk of addiction to other drugs.
The official JUUL website says that the product was created to help
current cigarette smokers stop smoking, and that it is solely intended
for adult use; statistics however are looking to prove otherwise.
Instead of reducing smoking, JUUL and e-cigarettes are creating a new
generation of cigarette smokers.
Participants of the nationally representative Population Assessment of
Tobacco and Health (PATH) study who reported using an e-cigarette or
other non-cigarette tobacco product were twice as likely to have smoked
cigarettes just one year later; and those who had used more than one
type of product were nearly four times as likely.
Parents and school administrators need to not only be aware of this new
and dangerous trend, but to have conversations at home and in the
classroom regarding the health risks of vaping, whether it be JUUL or
any other type of electronic device. In addition to being an obvious
violation of school policy, the discussion is vital to young people’s
safety and wellbeing.
Remember to follow Start Talking! on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
Read this article with links at education.ohio.gov
|
|
|
|
