Schools may be closed, but that doesn’t mean that the prevalence of Juul use among teenagers and young people is any less of a problem. Vaping is increasingly popular with young people and children who use Juul in school are at risk of considerable health problems, like Juul lung damage, and life-altering chemical exposure.

With schools empty across the country, there’s a perfect opportunity to analyze youth e-cigarette use in schools, something that may help officials better combat the issue when the fall semester begins.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines e-cigarettes as devices that aerosolize liquids so that the user can inhale the vapors. This liquid usually contains nicotine, an incredibly addictive and dangerous chemical. The aerosolized liquid is inhaled by the user, but bystanders may also be exposed when the user exhales.

School Students Suffering From JUUL Side Effects 

According to the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey published by the CDC, between 2013 and 2014 the number of children who used Juul in school tripled. Vaping is much more popular among young people than traditional cigarettes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that more than one in four students had used Juul in school in the previous year. Nearly 20% said they had vaped in the past month. Among 12th graders, the number of students who had vaped in the past year jumped to nearly 30%.

Not only is vaping in school common, it’s also harder to detect. Liz Burrow, tobacco control coordinator for Kentucky’s Oldam County Health Department, told Edutopia that vaping is pervasive in schools.

“A high school girl told me recently that it’s ‘really easy’ to vape in class, and that it doesn’t belong to any one clique—kids in every group are doing it,” said Burrows. “We worked so hard to reduce the smoking rate, and now it’s going back up.”

JUUL Youth Prevention Programs 

Children who Juul in school may be hard to catch, but that doesn’t mean school officials aren’t trying their best to halt the problem. Juuls and vapes have been banned in schools across the country and many educators have added vape-use to their tobacco policy.

Many schools are calling on their most powerful tool to quell the tide of teenage vape users: education. Children often don’t understand the harm that comes with vaping. According to the NIH, many high schoolers believe that when they use vapes they’re only inhaling flavoring. 

“The perception adults and media give that e-cigarettes are harmless is a big part of our problem. Kids don’t understand what’s in it; they think it’s just flavored water vapor.” Round Rock, Texas physical education teacher Valerie Phillips told Edutopia.

To counter common misconceptions about vape use, nonprofits and government agencies are offering schools free curriculum for middle and high schoolers. Some schools have implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) to help children learn how to self-regulate and problem-solve rather than vape.

How to Join a JUUL in School Lawsuit

JUUL Labs Inc. is now facing litigation on many fronts. In New York, school districts have sued the vape company over its marketing strategies allegedly targeting children. The suit alleges that the company used marketing tactics similar to those used by cigarette manufacturers to draw in teenage users.

“Cigarette manufacturers knew that teenagers were more susceptible to becoming addicted to nicotine,” the JUUL lawsuit reads. “And if you could addict a 14-year old to smoking, you gained a customer for decades, if they lived that long.”

Lawsuits have also been filed by school districts and attorneys general in Pennsylvania, Washington, Michigan, and Colorado. Several of these suits claim that school districts have had to divert funding meant for other programming towards programs meant to curb teen nicotine abuse and prevent students from using Juul or other e-cigarettes in school. In addition to increasing the number of staff monitoring students for potential vape pen use, some schools have also begun to install vape detectors, which can cost as much as $5,000 each.

In addition to hoping to hold Juul accountable for allegedly marketing the company’s products to children and teens, the Michigan lawsuit is also aiming to have the company pay for the installation of vaping detectors in school bathrooms, funding for counselors to provide support for teens addicted to vaping, and programming meant to educate teens about the dangers of vaping and nicotine.

The Washington A.G. claims in their lawsuit that Juul failed to even mention that the company’s vape pens contained nicotine in early advertising. This failure to disclose, combined with the company’s marketing strategy of using bright colors and young models, may have contributed to the popularity of Juul e-cigarettes with underage smokers. At least one study appears to indicate that a significant portion of Juul and other vape pen users are unaware that these products contain nicotine, and believe that they are simply vaping flavored pods.

Filing a Juul in school lawsuit is one of the best ways parents and educators can attempt to hold Juul responsible for any harm that may have been done to children and the education system.