Who put toilets in the Juul room?” The sentiment echoes through the hallways of Nixa High school where the vaping craze is in full swing, even with regulations banning the sale to people under the age of 21. It still spreads like wildfire throughout the
nation’s schools.
“Juul is one of the biggest brands of E-cigarette products, so that’s why it is called Juuling,” sophomore Edward Eiche said.
Vaping, commonly referred to as Juuling because of its recognition as the most popular brand of electronic cigarette, has swept the nation for being marketed as a safer alternative to cigarettes. It is shown as a way for people already addicted to cigarettes to be slowly weaned off of cigarettes, and eventually quit altogether. While it has been shown to help people quit
smoking cigarettes according to Juul itself, it has not been shown to stop the use of nicotine products altogether. It trades one addictive substance for another.
“Vaping has been around since the early 2000s and you really don’t know what [is] in the juices,” registered nurse Lindsay Ball said. “Some of the cases you have heard on the news where
people [who vape] have lungs that aren’t working properly and in severe cases have to be put on breathing
machines.”
According to Doctors for Martin Health, in one Juul pod the nicotine content is .07 ml, or about the
equivalent of a pack of cigarettes.
Regardless of the risk of addiction, vape products are still being sold to minors. Although use of these products can be potentially damaging, the issue is mostly met with jokes and excuses.
Additionally, those found at school
either possessing or using vape
products can get into trouble both
legally and through punishment at school.
“It starts with about three days ISS and after that it can go all the way up to full suspension if you keep getting caught,” school resource officer Jason Hartsell said.
Selling to a minor, or even selling without a permit, is a crime and, as a minor, even possessing a vaping device is illegal. Both kinds of trouble, in school and out of school, can have serious lasting effects on the future of a person, creating big black marks for any future colleges or employers.
“I would say I deal with it about twice a week, they are usually found in the bathrooms,” Hartsell said.
Vaping can be costly not only for future careers, academics, and
overall health, but it can also be a notable financial expense. Even if someone obtains a Juul for free and they go through one pod a day, it can be costly. Juul sells pods in a pack of four for $15.99, according to Juul.com. This means in one year they would spend about $1,459 on Juul pods.
Vaping is becoming a much more common phenomenon throughout the nation. Both teenagers and adults are using vape products.
“I’ve tried vaping about three years ago, just to see how it is I wouldn’t do it again, there is a bunch of weird
toxins and stuff going into your body–not a big fan of that,” Eiche said
Vapes contain certain heavy metals which can negatively affect the body and with too much moisture it can cause effects similar to pneumonia in the lungs.
“[Obviously] you got healthwise, [Doctors] don’t really know what vaping does to your lungs, there has been at least one case around Springfield where someone has gotten sick. We don’t know yet if vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, just don’t do it,” Hartsell said.