The JUUL Epidemic

James Lopez

PrideTime Editor

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Since its release in 2015, the electronic cigarette, JUUL, has taken the world by a storm for it’s sleek, high-tech, easy-to-hide build. It’s addicting chemical, nicotine, coupled with the variety of flavors the pods come in, is creating a vaping epidemic in youth culture. According to the FDA, 3.6 million middle school and high school students are addicted to e-cigarettes, primarily JUUL. In Brien McMahon High School, “JUULing” is a big problem that needs to be addressed more by families and staff. 

“I don’t think students really know what’s going into their bodies. Everybody thinks vaping is cool in the moment but they won’t truly realize that JUULing is bad for their health until the damage is already done” explains Daniela Contreras, a senior at BMHS. Research has shown that 1 JUUL pod contains about 30 packs of cigarettes worth of nicotine. Many students at BMHS have been caught with JUUL devices, and many more are able to hide their JUULing habits from the public. Although the small device can be easily concealed, it’s harmful effects are still huge for teens at McMahon. 

“I wanted to start JUULing at one point during my sophomore year because it was becoming so popular, but I stopped myself after doing research on the harmful effects” remarks Aldo Salazar, a senior at BMHS. Aldo made a smart choice that many students overlook when vaping, “I also think students should look into researching what long-term effects JUULing can do to their health so that they might change their mind.” 

​In conclusion, vaping in general is a serious problem that is an epidemic amongst teens in modern society, especially in BMHS where many students are caught JUULing almost everyday.

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