Study Indicates Teens May Not Associate Juul Pods with E-Cigarettes

According to a recent study, the term “Juuling” may have become so popular that many youth users of Juul pods and vape pens may not associate the term with the use of e-cigarettes.

Study Indicates Teens May Not Associate Juuling with Vaping

According to the study published in JAMA Network Open in February 2020, high school students in New Jersey who were asked about their vaping habits answered differently depending on the way the questions were phrased. When researchers asked students about their e-cigarette use but did not include Juul specific questions, fewer students reported using nicotine devices. However, when researchers specifically mentioned Juuling or Juul pods in their queries, a higher number of students reported e-cigarette use. In some demographic categories, the number of e-cigarette users almost doubled depending on the way the question was asked. Female students and black students were the groups with the largest discrepancy between subjects who responded negatively to questions about e-cigarettes in general, but affirmatively to questions about using Juul.

Although it was known that the brand Juul is especially popular among teenagers and may have contributed to the rise in youth nicotine use over the past several years, the distinction between vaping and Juuling had not been previously demonstrated prior to this study. This research may indicate that youth nicotine use may be even higher than previous studies have shown. According to this study, one in four students reported using e-cigarettes, with one in ten claiming to have used e-cigarettes on at least 20 days in the 30 days before the survey.

This recent study may also fall in line with previous research suggesting that not all youth e-cigarette users may be aware that they are inhaling nicotine and not simply flavored vapor from Juul pods and other e-cigarette devices.

The Connection Between Teens and Juul Pods

Following the rise in popularity of Juul, teen nicotine use has also been on the rise for several years. According to one of the co-authors of the recent study, almost half of current e-cigarette and vape pen users report Juul as the first vape product they tried. Juul has been criticized many times by anti-nicotine advocates who claim that the company has unethically targeted teens with advertising campaigns.

Additionally, a recent lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts attorney general claims that Juul purchased ad space from Nickelodeon, Seventeen magazine, and the Cartoon Network in 2015 and 2016, when the company was fairly new. This advertising would have been seen mostly by middle school and high school students.

In addition to the dangers associated with nicotine addiction including lung cancer and emphysema, using e-cigarettes may come with additional health consequences. Thousands of people have been sicked by vape-related lung illnesses, and there are many reports of e-cigarette use resulting in nicotine overdoses and seizures.

If you or your child has suffered from a nicotine overdose, seizures, vape-related lung illnesses, or other e-cigarette health consequences, you may be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and file a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer of these devices. Victims who pursue litigation may be able to recover compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.

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