Teens’ vaping and use of juuls has increased dramatically around the country, eliciting a threat of dramatic action from the FDA.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given E-cigarette companies 60 days to move vapes, Juuls, and other e-cigarette products out of the hands of minors, says Charlotte Hu from Business Insider. The FDA has threatened to remove all e-cigarette products from store shelves in response to the widespread epidemic of underage e-cigarette consumption,
Vaping has become popular among young adults and teens, who obtain most of the materials illegally. Vapes and the new USB sized Juul can be found in the pockets of millions of American youth, including minors as young as 12 and 13 years old.
“People continue to use them because it’s the cool thing now. It’s what they have to do to fit in. Then, they’re addicted,” says Central High School senior Levi Nelson. “It disrupts students’ studies, as their focus isn’t on their schoolwork, rather it’s when their next nicotine fix will be.”
Health officials say these Juuls contain as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. The appeal is found in all the fancy flavorings. Delicious flavors like chocolate, strawberry, birthday cake, and many more were to appeal to adults, making it sound like a better option than cigarettes. But now the purpose has been largely missed and instead has fed a whole new kind of addiction into younger generations. “The only way to stop underage vape use would be to stop production,” Nelson continues. “E-cigarettes are an unnecessary alternative to smoking; some juices contain just as much if not more nicotine than a cigarette. Nicotine patches and gum are much better solutions to the problem.”
If e-cigarette companies are unable to create a plan to get products out of underage hands, the FDA will begin removing products from shelves. The e-cigarette business has been on a steady rise since their first introduction, becoming a multi-million dollar business. Removal of products is sure to cause a decline in sales and destroy the value of the business.
Photo: Vaping by Mike Mozart on Flickr
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