The use of e-cigarettes has grown rapidly in the last several years, as have the illnesses attached to them. Research from the World Health Organization shows that the overall number of traditional smokers has declined in recent years, but there’s one product bucking that trend: e-cigarettes. The e-cigarette market continues to expand.

In 2011, there were about seven million vapers around the world. By 2018, that number hit 41 million. A growing portion of that user base is teenagers, too. Capturing data about how many people consider themselves part of that group, however, is a challenge. In fact, a new study from Rutgers shows that users of the JUUL brand, a good number of which are high school students, don’t necessarily view themselves as e-cigarette users.

The Rutgers study found that 90 percent of teenagers in New Jersey have used the JUUL brand. The term “JUULing” has also gained traction among users of that product. Many of these same consumers feel as though they’re not truly e-cigarette users. All of these users face the risk of vape addiction.

Issues with JUUL

JUUL is the market leader in vaping pens. The brand’s success has caught the attention of the American Medical Association, in addition to the media, since by fall 2018, the company had grabbed over 70% of the e-cigarette brand market.

JUUL was an early innovator in the market with the use of nicotine salts, a fact that some industry experts believe is a reason their products got so much traction. The products deliver a very high dose of nicotine, however, increasing the possible addictiveness of e cigarettes and the chances for side effects like nicotine poisoning, seizures or brain changes for young users – and the majority of users are young.

In the United States, more than half of e-cigarette users are under 35, according to research shared by Reuters.

Although the products came on the market with early advertising headlines and promoted benefits like helping people who are traditional smokers move towards quitting, the use ratio for teens and young adults has caught the attention of parents and anti-smoking advocates.

Addiction and the Brain

One of the biggest concerns around the addictiveness of e-cigarettes has to do with the brain risks facing younger users of JUUL pods and other similar devices. Nicotine changes the way that synapses inside the brain are formed, and this can have a negative impact on the brain areas that control learning and attention.

Human brains develop until around age 25, which means that a user who picks up an e-cigarette and becomes a regular user in their early teen years could suffer major changes in their brains in the ten years following. E-cigarettes have not been around long enough for anyone to track a user from young adulthood into adulthood to map out possible brain changes, but the U.S. Surgeon General has started covering issues and risks related to nicotine and e-cig use.

JUUL has claimed that they have not specifically targeted teens as their primary users, despite findings to the contrary. States around the country are now banning flavored vape pods and trying to enforce age of sale restrictions on e-cigarettes.

If you or someone you know has suffered addiction problems with nicotine after using e-cigarettes, you might want to investigate whether or not there are any grounds to move forward with legal action. Top Class Actions can help connect you to an attorney that can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Learn More

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