We are in the midst of a youth nicotine epidemic.

Over the past 10 years, vaping and e-cigarettes have established a stable position in the tobacco industry. Vaporizers and e-cigarettes are a way for current smokers to smoke in a safer way for themselves and those around them.

This part of the tobacco industry has spread to underage users, and the small e-cigarette Juul has made its mark.

According to John-Anthony Fraga for the National Center for Health Research, Juul’s popularity has skyrocketed in the past four years, and it now accounts for 68 percent of the $2 billion e-cigarette market.

Juul’s success among young people is due to usability. It is shaped like a small flash drive, allowing it to be easily hidden, and it can be re-charged by USB.

In order to use it, one only needs to inhale. The Juul has an internally regulated heating system that turns the e-liquid into a vapor, which is inhaled by the user. Once the e-liquid cartridge is empty, the user can replace it with a new one.

Juul has soared to the top of the e-cigarette market. Before its official opening in 2017, a series of launch parties and other marketing campaigns were launched in cities such as New York City and Los Angeles. Ads went up across all social media platforms, and free or extremely cheap samples were given out at the launch parties.

“Vaporized” was the company’s campaign in 2015, and it is clear that most of the models in the pictures are young adults. They are seen doing typical “teenager” things, such as hanging out with friends, dancing and having a “good time” with their Juul.

Another issue about the campaigns was the marketing of flavored cartridges. Fruit and other sweet flavors make the product more appealing to young people.

Business Insider reported that Juul was emailing customers and encouraging their participation as a “Juul Influencer.” Social media influencers promote products or brands for a certain company using their social media accounts. They post content related to the product they agreed to promote. This increased peer-to-peer communication about Juuls helped spread the product among underage users.

After several lawsuits and general pressure to change their ads, Juul’s ad campaign has changed from the original campaign. Now it specifically targets adults who already smoke cigarettes. Their website requires age verification and includes a nicotine warning at the top of each page. In 2017, Juul raised the age of models used in their ads to 35.

Despite these efforts, the Centers for Disease Control found that, in 2018, approximately 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students were using e-cigarettes. While it ranges between multiple brands of e-cigs, the Truth Initiative found that 1 in 5 high school students have seen another student using a Juul. With the flavors available and online presence of advertisements, Juul advertising has created a new generation of smokers.

The National Center for Health Research notes that e-liquid cartridges have approximately the same amount of nicotine as a pack of regular cigarettes. Unknowing users can be exposed to unsafe levels of nicotine and benzoic acid, which results in sore throat, coughs, nausea and abdominal pain, according to the CDC.

For teens, Juuls are seen as harmless and fun when hanging out with friends. However, they are harmful.

A person must be 21 years old to purchase a Juul, but young users are finding ways around this. Juuls and other e-cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product for young people, so the idea that e-cigarettes are trying to lessen tobacco use has not come to fruition.

The specific danger to young people is the effects nicotine have on the developing brain. Nicotine is highly addictive, and the flavors associated with Juuls make it easier to depend on the drug.

Psychology Today explains that long term nicotine use can result in cancer and cardiovascular problems. Nicotine severely halts or lessens the development in teenager’s brains, particularly with the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for emotional regulation, decision making and complex cognitive behavior, so if this does not get the chance to fully develop, it can affect the remainder of one’s life.

Education about the dangers of cigarettes is a common practice in American schools, but the American Lung Association is concerned that Juuls and other e-cigarettes are not being discussed.

Juul has drastically changed their campaigning, tailoring it to an older and current smoking population. However, tighter regulations are necessary to prevent young users from getting a hold of these products. The dangers of using Juuls and similar e-cigarette products need to be discussed. It is critical to recognize their harm because they are potentially life-threatening. Juuls may have their place, but not in the hands of teenagers.

Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.