Eileen Flynn, Executive Editor
@eileen_courant
With Juul company currently valued as a $15 billion corporation, it’s no secret that electronic cigarettes have swept the nation. While people believe these vapes are a healthier alternative to tobacco for people already addicted to nicotine, the FDA recently issued a statement declaring that Juul has violated the law that prevents the sale of vape devices to anyone under 21 years old.
With a simple flash drive look, it’s not hard to imagine why Juuls have provided much more appeal to minors than cigarettes do. One of the major reasons that Juuls have proven successful among minors is the variety of flavored pods available, such as Mango, Mint, and Cool Cucumber. “It really seems less dangerous than cigarettes,” a senior said. “It’s hard to believe that it’s that bad for you when it tastes like fruit.”
Countless teenagers think this way, which is why e-cigarette use among teenagers rose 900% from the years 2011-2015, according to a 2016 report by the US surgeon general. And the number is growing exponentially. With new data being released about the negative health effects of Juuling, the FDA decided to step in and do something to combat this epidemic.
Similar to the attack on Camel Cigarettes old “Joe Camel” ads in the 1980s that were criticized for making cigarettes appeal to children, Juul has been criticized for selling flavors and releasing social media promotions that “market directly to teenagers.” “The Juul even lights up different colors, and you can get so many different flavors,” a junior said. “It definitely makes them more appealing.
This past fall, the FDA criticized Juul for its marketing tactics, and even threatened to shut down the company if they were unable to procure a comprehensive plan to limit the sale of Juuls to minors. “It’s really easy to get pods or a Juul,” a junior said. “Even if you can’t get an older kid to buy them for you, a lot of places don’t even card you.”
Although the FDA retracted their plan to force the removal of all flavor pods from stores, Juul has released a statement that they are removing all flavors except Mint, Tobacco and Menthol from “most stores” have temporarily halted social media ads in order to limit their appeal to minors, and are marking up the price of pods. The FDA also stated that they are now requiring all stores to keep Juul products in an area unavailable to minors. But is this enough?
Honestly, probably not. The strategy to remove certain flavors from the market seems like more of a public statement than an effective solution. “Everyone that I know uses mint pods anyways so I don’t think it will have much of an effect on most people,” a senior said.
So what will be enough to put an end to the seemingly unstoppable wave of vaping? Most likely, restrictions will have little effect on the market until the attitudes surrounding the use of electronic cigarettes changes. “Right now, it’s considered socially acceptable to Juul in a way that smoking cigarettes is not,” a senior said. “Until it’s no longer ‘cool’ to Juul I really doubt that teenagers and kids will stop.”
However, others think that the marking up of pod prices is a promising tactic to stop adolescent vaping. “I know most of my friends are limited by the amount of money they have,” a junior said. “If the prices were to rise significantly, I think a lot of them would stop.”
With the tobacco industry holding significant power in the global and domestic market, it’s unclear whether or not the FDA will actually hold Juul accountable for its actions. This was proven through their retraction of their plan to demand the removal of flavored pods from stores, along with their decision not to shut down the company despite its inability to come up with a comprehensive plan to prevent the sale of Juuls to minors.
However, it is clear that the FDA is making a statement about their stance on Juul, due to their public statements that have been successful in prompting Juul to make changes to their marketing in order to limit underage nicotine addictions, even announcing the release of new pods that will have a lower nicotine concentrations, and more vapor.
Maybe you like the taste and maybe it’s considered cool, but the bottom line is this: Juuling has health effects that are just as bad as smoking cigarettes, and regardless of the flavor or the advertising, e-cigarette use results in an addiction that can last a lifetime.
If you or a friend are addicted, please consider visiting https://teen.smokefree.gov/become-smokefree/tools-for-quitting or calling 1-877-44U-QUIT
