"Juuling"

Nicotine in another form and known by another name is no less dangerous. Yet, teens don't necessarily care about or even realize the danger. That is certainly true with the newest nicotine e-cigarette "juuling" trend that's sweeping high schools and alarming teachers, parents, and other caring adults.

Juuling refers to inhaling nicotine released by a pod that could easily be mistaken for a USB drive. Each juul pod contains about 200 puffs, which is roughly the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes. Users insert the pod full of flavored liquid, let it heat up, puff from the battery-powered device and exhale. 

Because of its subtle design that doesn't require a lighter, teens have been able to sneak these e-cigarettes into public settings without easily getting caught. In addition, the vapor released from juuling is much less substantial (it's almost invisible) than cigarettes or e-cigarettes and so users can exhale into their elbows or bookbags etc. without attracting too much notice.

Teens often ask each other for puffs of the juul and the trend is spreading quickly, particularly in affluent communities. This is a situation where appearances are definitely deceiving - juuling looks sophisticated and subtle, but it still contains nicotine and is, therefore, still addictive.

Recognizing what juul packs look and smell like (often like a fruity lotion or body spray) is an important step in awareness for caring adults. Take a look here for more information. In addition, having an open conversation with teens or pre-teens in your care about the dangers of juuling can provide them with the facts they need to resist a trend that will only lead to nicotine addiction.

This article is not part of your continuing training. To access your required bulletins you must log in using the form in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Then go to the TRAINING tab.