Juuling. Vaping. We’ve heard it more recently than ever. With vaping introduced as an alternative way to wean off of cigarettes, it’s easy to assume that while many may be using vapes legally, plenty of other people are using these materials illegally.

This new trend wasn’t originally called “vaping.” It started off with a tobacco-free e-cigarette made by Herbert Gilbert in 1963. Marketed as the new way to wean smokers off of cigarettes, it became an additional resource besides Nicorette gum and patches. The primary purpose of vaping is to stop people from smoking, not to be used recreationally, but because vaping is more appealing, efficient and more portable than ever, students are obtaining the devices through outside sources and even through other students.

There are many different versions of vaping on the market in 2018. With its rapid success, Juul has been one of the most popular vaping devices. With its appealing flavors such as mango, mint, cotton candy, fruit, etc., there is an increased temptation to pick up a Juul. In addition, Juul electronic cigarettes are marketed for those over 18 years old. Students are illegally obtaining these materials through other adults or of-age siblings. However, as people gain more information on the harmful effects of Juuling, they are keeping their cash in their pockets.

In more recent news, Juul is now taking these e-cigarettes off of the market. With parents and schools filing for lawsuits against the company due to students misusing the products, the company is making them exclusively online or in specialty stores. Now, this resolution may somewhat improve the issue, but it is not an ultimate solution. No matter the higher consequences, teens will still attempt to find ways to purchase Juuls.

What about the other side – adults using Juuls as an alternative to smoking to eventually wean away from the bad habit completely? Juuls weren’t immediately marketed for teens, for obvious reasons like the nicotine component, but the ease of it, due to its similarities to a USB drive in its simple size and style, automatically attracted the younger generations. This is affecting more people than Juul anticipated. They never thought about the demographic of younger people getting its hands on Juuls; it was purely invented for the smoking adult.

Not to mention, the high pricing of vaping: The price of just a Juul, not even with the pods, is $34.99. Pods, flavored refills (you can’t vape without them), are $15.99 for a pack of four and $9.99 for two. Normally, teenagers under 17 do not have jobs with weekly hours like adults in order to be able to afford this. So where are they getting this money from? Some take the theft route and steal it from their parents. Others lie to their parents about what the money is going towards.

With these points in mind, vaping is not to be taken lightly. This “hobby” teens are picking up can turn addictive fast. Juul contains nicotine, which can lead to more addictive chemical dependence in the future. This expensive activity is ruining young teenagers’ lungs which can cause them to be short of breath and not meet breathe at maximum potential. Juuling and vaping were invented to stop smokers from smoking, but it’s really fueling a new generation of smokers.