The Truth About Vaping

    Here is how Juuls work: Juulers (people who use Juuls) buy four tiny “pods” filled with a liquid for $15. The liquid is called juice. The juice contains nicotine, flavoring, and other chemicals. 

    The Juul heats up the juice in the pod to make a vapor. The vapor is what juulers inhale. The nicotine is what juulers get addicted to. 

    Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes. Juuls have a lot of it. Each pod has as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes. 

    Nicotine is a powerful drug. It changes your brain. Your body gets used to a regular dose. If you take it away, you’ll feel sick. You’ll get headaches. You might have trouble sleeping. You will probably feel restless and anxious. 

    What happens when juulers can’t quit? No one knows. E-cigarettes have been around for only about 15 years. It’s hard to predict the long-term dangers. Most scientists say e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigarettes. But the chemicals in e-cigarettes may cause cancer.

    Here’s how Juuls work. For $15, juulers—or people who use Juuls—purchase four tiny “pods” filled with a liquid. The liquid, called “juice,” contains nicotine, flavoring, and other chemicals.

    The Juul heats up the juice in the pod to create a vapor, which is what juulers inhale. The nicotine is what makes them come back for more.

    Nicotine is the chemical in cigarettes that makes people addicted, and Juuls deliver a lot of it: Each pod contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.

    Nicotine is a powerful drug that changes your brain. Your body becomes accustomed to a regular dose: Take it away and you’ll feel sick. You’ll get headaches, and you might have difficulty sleeping. Chances are you’ll feel restless and anxious.

    What happens when juulers can’t quit? No one knows. E-cigarettes have been around for only about 15 years, so it’s hard to predict the long-term dangers. According to most scientists, e-cigarettes are less dangerous than tobacco cigarettes, but the chemicals in e-cigarettes may cause cancer.

    Despite the dangers, juuling is still on the rise in high schools. Some people blame flavors like mango and fruit medley. These flavors make Juuls sound like candy. They also make e-cigarettes seem harmless.

    That’s what Margarida thought when she first started juuling. “I thought, ‘It’s fruit; it can’t be bad for you,’” she says.

    Now Margarida knows the real story. So do other students at her school, Scarsdale High. Last spring a senior named Jack Waxman saw his friends getting addicted to Juuls. He decided to make a video warning about the dangers. Margarida agreed to tell her story for the video.

    She’s still trying to quit juuling. But she’s glad she helped make the video. It’s called “Juulers Against Juul.” It’s gotten attention on national TV. And both Jack and Margarida hope the message will get through. 

    “Maybe sixth-graders are hearing it,” Jack says. “They’ll see that juuling can take over your life. And they’ll say, ‘I’m not going to start.’”

    Despite the dangers, juuling is still on the rise in high schools. Some blame flavors like mango and fruit medley. These flavors make Juuls sound like candy. They also make e-cigarettes seem harmless. 

    That is what Margarida thought when she first started juuling. “I thought, ‘It’s fruit; it can’t be bad for you,’” she says. 

    Now she knows the truth. Other students at her school know too. Jack Waxman is a senior. He saw his friends getting addicted to Juuls. He made a video about the dangers. Margarida agreed to tell her story for the video. 

    Margarida is still trying to quit juuling. She is glad that she helped make the video. The video is called “Juulers Against Juul.” It’s gotten attention on national TV. Jack and Margarida hope the message will get through. 

    “Maybe sixth-graders are hearing it,” Jack says. “They’ll see that juuling can take over your life. And they’ll say, ‘I’m not going to start.’”

    Despite the dangers, juuling is still on the rise in high schools. Some people blame flavors like mango and fruit medley. These flavors make Juuls sound like candy. They also make e-cigarettes seem harmless.

    That’s what Margarida thought when she first started juuling. “I thought, ‘It’s fruit; it can’t be bad for you,’” she says.

    Now Margarida knows the real story. So do other students at her school, Scarsdale High. Last spring a senior named Jack Waxman saw his friends getting addicted to Juuls. He decided to make a video warning about the dangers. Margarida agreed to tell her story for the video.

    She’s still trying to quit juuling. But she’s glad she helped make the video. It’s called “Juulers Against Juul.” It’s gotten attention on national TV. And both Jack and Margarida hope the message will get through. 

    “Maybe sixth-graders are hearing it,” Jack says. “They’ll see that juuling can take over your life. And they’ll say, ‘I’m not going to start.’”