E-cigarettes are often touted as a method of weaning oneself off of regular cigarettes and the nicotine addiction that affects many who use them regularly. However, e-cigarettes typically have nicotine as well—and some types of e-cigarettes may deliver nicotine more effectively than others.

Indeed, one of the more popular brands of e-cigarettes currently on the market is JUUL, a pod-based e-cigarette available in a variety of attractive, fruity flavors. Research has shown that the health risk with JUUL e-cigarettes specifically may include that they are more potent in their nicotine concentrations than other competitive brands.

Jessica Yingst, a researcher at Penn State’s College of Medicine, has said that several previous studies have shown that e-cigarettes that contain high concentrations of liquid nicotine actually deliver very little of that nicotine to the user. However, Yingst and her team of researchers have now conducted tests to determine the health risk with JUUL e-cigarette pods specifically, and found that these may have extremely different nicotine-delivery capabilities. In fact, Yingst and the other researchers found that with JUUL (which also has a very high concentration of nicotine per pod) significantly more nicotine made it into users’ bodies.

“The JUUL users we studied obtained blood nicotine concentrations almost three times as high as most of the e-cigarette users we previously studied,” said Yingst. “JUUL’s nicotine delivery is very similar to that of cigarettes.”

The findings of this research were published in JAMA Open Network earlier this month. The study involved six regular users of JUUL, who were asked to puff their JUUL device 30 times over the course of ten minutes, or one puff every 20 seconds. During and after vaping, the users’ blood was collected at intervals to analyze the amount of nicotine in their blood at various intervals. Researchers said they used liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques to conduct their analysis.

On top of nicotine levels measured in the blood, researchers also gave participants a questionnaire asking them to rate their various withdrawal symptoms before and after vaping. Compared to the self-reporting by users of other e-cigarette brands, the JUUL user participants self-reported a higher dependence on nicotine.

“In previous studies, we found that e-cigarette users were less addicted than smokers,” said Jonathan Foulds, a co-author on the study. “However, the high nicotine delivery of the product and the scores on this study suggest that JUUL is probably as addictive as cigarettes.”

Research has indicated that the health risk of JUUL and other e-cigarettes includes nicotine addiction, seizures, and more.

Unfortunately, the addictive nature of e-cigarettes—and their flavorful, attractive options—have led to a rapid increase in teenagers and other young people using these devices, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently investigating JUUL’s marketing tactics to determine the extent to which they may have deliberately targeted children and teenagers with their advertising. And it is these teenagers who are suffering from vaping-related lung illnesses.

The FDA found that just between 2017 and 2018, the rate of high school students using e-cigarettes increased by 78 percent, and by 38 percent among middle schoolers. Now, about 20.8 percent of high school students are reportedly vaping, along with 4.9 percent of middle school children, the federal agency reports.

Filing a JUUL Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from the side effects of e-cigarette usage, including JUUL seizures or nicotine addiction, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these side effects, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be daunting, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney who can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Join a Free JUUL E-Cigarette Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your child suffered seizures after vaping with a JUUL e-cigarette, you may benefit from participating in a free JUUL class action lawsuit investigation.

Learn More

This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.