Rhymes With Fool

In case you haven’t heard (or simply haven’t cared), a Juul puff is filled with cancer-causing toxins and addictive nicotine. Read on for a hit of reality about this dangerous habit.

- Melanie Mannarino

School bathrooms are being fitted with sensors. There are sign-in sheets to pee. Flash drives have been banned. Students are Juuling— and adults are doing everything they can to stop it. That started long before September 2018, when the FDA declared Juul use an epidemic among teens and directed Juul and other brands (like Suorin, Logic, and Blu) to figure out how to prevent kids under 18 from using their products—or else risk being put out of business. Why the panic? Despite what you may think, there’s a lot more than just mango (or strawberry or creme) flavoring in a Juul hit: It’s loaded with nicotine, the addictive chemical found in tobacco that makes it hard, if not impossible, for smokers to quit cigarettes. If that’s a surprise to you, you’re not alone: 63 percent of people ages 15 to 24 surveyed by the Truth Initiative were not aware that all Juul juice (yep, all, including even the fruity ones) contains nicotine. That misperception may help explain why more and more teens in middle and high school are vaping. In a recent national study that surveyed students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, vaping (whether flavoring only, nicotine, or marijuana) increased over the previous year. Right now, the count is at 2.1 million teens.

Don’t be one of them. these facts, and then pass on the puff.

1 Nicotine Addiction Can Happen Fast

Here’s how it gets you: “Juuling makes me feel lifted and fun,” says Elle, 15. “It can release my stress.”