Does your child Juul?

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of a Juul or “juuling.” But it’s likely your son or daughter has.

A Juul, a type of e-cigarette, is a new device popular among those in middle school, high school and college. A Juul looks like a USB flash drive and you can even charge it through a laptop. At first glance, it seems like a harmless device. The reality, however, is far worse.

One Juul pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Children who use these devices are apt to become addicted to nicotine, and they are much more likely to smoke cigarettes as adults than kids who don’t use these products. Equally as alarming, you can fill the device with homemade substances including “wax,” a concentrated and more potent form of marijuana.

It comes in a variety of fruity flavors, making it appealing to children. And its small design makes it easy to hide, allowing children to bring it to school and even smoke it during class. The proliferation of Juuls has caused some schools to take measures against its use on campus, including removing bathroom stall doors and taking disciplinary action against students caught using them.

Adolescence is often a difficult time full of uncertainty and insecurity. As parents and concerned citizens, it’s important to be educated on how companies take advantage of this vulnerable time to entice kids into behaviors that will have lasting effects on their health.

Talk to your children and don’t let them fall victim.

Author

Stephen Cattaneo, MD, is a thoracic surgeon and medical director of Thoracic Oncology at AAMC.