Your juul, though marketed as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, has been proven to be just as harmful and addictive. Most people who use juuls are not concerned with a safe alternative to cigarette smoking anyways. Juuls are attractive because of the fun flavors including mint, crème brulee, and mixed berry. While cigarettes are made unattractive because the smell lingers and is repulsive to many, juul pods smell and taste good, therefore reducing the incentive not to smoke. Juuls come in a discreet, slim shape (think flash drive) making it easy to carry around everywhere–including class. Juuls have been a trend for a few years now and research is starting to catch up with this fad; more and more studies are providing convincing evidence that young people should stay away from juuls to avoid unnecessary nicotine addiction, brain damage, cardiac disease, and lung cancer.Though less teens than ever smoke cigarettes, the e-cigarette market is work $2 billion. Juuls account for a whopping 68% of that market. A juul is a vaping product which heats a juul pod of e-liquid formula containing nicotine using an internal heating system. Unfortunately, the heating process releases aerosol which contains carcinogens. A good general rule of thumb is to avoid any activity, like juuling, which involves inhaling carcinogens. But aerosol is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the health concerns that accompany juuling.
Juuls cause more nicotine dependency than other e-cigarette brands. Juul pods, which are separately purchased and click onto the top of the juul, contain the nicotine equivalent to one pack of cigarettes. The high nicotine content coupled with yummy flavors keeps users coming back puff after puff. PAX Labs, the company which produces juuls, devised a sneaky way to allow users to take in more nicotine without realizing. Unlike other e-cigarette brands which use freebase nicotine, Juuls use nicotine salts. Freebase nicotine is directly extracted from the tobacco life; freebase nicotine has PH level of around 7-8. The higher the PH, the harsher the hit. So, PAX labs use nicotine salt, by combining benzoic acid to freebase nicotine to reduce the PH, to give users a smoother hit. The smoother hit nicotine salts allow means users can vape more nicotine before experiencing a sore throat and coughing. The rough hit cigarettes give is beneficial; a cigarette smoker cannot intake as much nicotine as someone vaping a juul before getting a cue to stop. Due to the use of nicotine salts combined with the excess amount of nicotine with each pod, teenagers are overdosing on nicotine due to their juul use. While other e-cigarette brands contain from 0.2-2 mg/mL benzoic acid, Juul pods contain 44.8 mg/mL of benzoic acid which causes abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting with constant exposure.The high nicotine content in juul pods is worrisome; it makes juuls highly addictive. Nicotine is addictive because it triggers an artificial release of dopamine. Dopamine relaxes the body, dulls pain, and produces gentle euphoria. On the flip-side, smokers experiencing a lack of nicotine-induced dopamine are anxious, fidgety, nauseous, and irritable. Addiction begins when a cycle is put in place of the body craving nicotine as a relief from the discomfort of withdrawals, and a hit of nicotine makes everything feel alright again. A nicotine addiction is hard to kick. The average cocaine addict usually quits after about five years; however, the average nicotine addict won’t quit for 30 years and only after multiple attempts. Nicotine intake is not a good habit to pick up. Nicotine lowers the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Also, nicotine encourages cell growth, including the cells of cancerous tumors. Aside from nicotine being a carcinogen, consistent smoke in your lungs is linked to lung cancer. In addition to smoke, the heating of juul pods releases carcinogens, which are inhaled into your lungs. People also can get Type 2 diabetes coupled with insulin resistance from regular nicotine intake. Heart attacks are more common among people who smoke or vape because nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure. For young people, nicotine has added consequences. Nicotine reduces the activity of the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for cognitive behavior and decision making. As a consequence of experiencing a reduction in prefrontal cortex activity, young smokers or vapers experience increased sensitivity to drugs and greater impulsivity leading to more drug use.Juuls, though fun flavored and good smelling, are not without consequences. For young people under 21 years of age, the high nicotine content of juul pods will permanently affect your brain functioning. Especially for people who are not vaping to kick a cigarette habit, it is not worth risking the health consequences of extensive nicotine exposure.