Students have been caught smoking an e-cigarette that is easy to conceal in school. The device, called a Juul, is easy to mistake for a USB drive. This has made it hard to realize that the culprit has been smoking in school. Students wait for teachers to turn their backs and then blow it away discreetly.
Teachers are looking for a way to get students to stop using the device.
Juul
Juul markets itself as an alternative to cigarettes but makes it clear that it provides users with the same nicotine level found in cigarettes. Juul vapes are small and discrete so it's easy for students to disguise the vape, and not draw too much attention when holding it.
In response to the device looking like a USB drive, some schools have also started banning USB drives to avoid confusion. Juuls are still brought into school, and students complain that people with Juuls have taken refuge in bathrooms to use them without being caught.
To combat students hiding in the bathroom, some schools have removed bathroom doors to stop students from vaping. One student described school bathrooms as now smelling stinky and fruity. In the Juul subreddit, one user said that the bathrooms now have a more pleasant smell.
A common misconception among students is that the Juul is harmless. Many don't realize that it contains nicotine. One Juul pod contains 200 puffs, which is as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
Juul says that those underage users of their products should be condemned because its products are for adult use only.
Health Effects Of E-Cigarettes
Though research has shown that e-cigarettes can be less lethal than cigarettes, other research shows that this may not be by much. A study by Johns Hopkins shows that potentially dangerous levels of metals leaks from some e-cigarettes heating coils.
A number of the devices have been shown to generate aerosols that have potentially unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese and/or nickel. Inhaling these metals can lead to cancer, and lung, liver, immune, cardiovascular, and brain damage.
The Food and Drug Administration is still weighing in on how to regulate e-cigarettes. Last year, the FDA delayed rules that would've removed many e-cigarette products from the market. FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said at the time that the move was to reduce the number of tobacco deaths in the U.S.
