Study Finds Young People Don’t Know JUUL E-Cigarettes Contain Addictive Nicotine

Did you know the JUUL e-cigarette delivers more nicotine than a Pall Mall cigarette? Despite the low profile of the small JUUL devices, public health advocates say they are extremely dangerous, especially for younger smokers.

JUUL vape pens look like a USB drive, but they are devices that allegedly allow the user to breathe in much higher doses of nicotine than possible with traditional cigarettes. There’s no smoke or harsh taste.

The JUUL e-cigarette is a reusable device that the user fills and refills with JUULpods. Mint, Cucumber, Fruit and Crème flavors entice customers to smoke. The pods are available in 3 percent and 5 percent nicotine strength, according to the packaging, but don’t let that fool you into thinking there is very little nicotine in a pod.

A JUUL e-cigarette works by the placement of a JUULpod, a cartridge, clicked into place at the top of the device. The JUUL e-cigarette heats the nicotine e-liquid to form a vapor that is inhaled. The JUUL recharges when plugged into a USB port.

When the JUUL device is plugged into a USB port, it could easily be mistaken as a typical USB drive.

The JUUL e-cigarette purportedly delivers more nicotine to the bloodstream at a faster rate than the capability of a traditional cigarette. This dose and speed combination increases the likelihood of addiction to nicotine. With no smoke and no lingering smell, many parents might be surprised to find out their children are smoking JUUL e-cigarettes.

JUUL’s own studies indicate the devices provide nicotine blood levels that measure up to 35 percent higher than the nicotine level delivered by a Pall Mall cigarette. JUUL says that one JUULpod holds the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.

According to the Truth Initiative Survey, 63 percent of JUUL e-cigarette users from age 15 through 24 did not know the JUULpods contain any nicotine at all. These young people were unaware they were inhaling a dangerous, addictive chemical.

JUUL E-cigarette Marketing at Youth

The FDA calls the use of JUUL e-cigs an “epidemic.” According to a report from the Surgeon General, more than a quarter of all middle school and high school students have tried e-cigarettes, mainly lured to do so by the flavors.

The marketing of the JUUL e-cigarette appears to target young people. Instagram and Twitter are among the places you will find JUUL advertisements, where many users are still in their teens or twenties. According to Statista.com, worldwide statistics as of January 2018 indicate 7 percent of Instagram users are ages 13 to 17 years old; 31 percent are 18 to 24 years old.

JUUL promotes a “Starter Kit” that includes the JUUL device, USB charging dock, and four JUULpods that are 5 percent nicotine strength.  The JUULpods include one that is regular tobacco flavored; the others are Mint, Mango and Crème flavors.

Join a Free JUUL E-Cigarette Calls Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your child used a JUUL e-cigarette and later became addicted to nicotine, you may be eligible to join the JUUL e-cigarette class action lawsuit or start a new suit.

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