Negative Effects of Juuling Research Report

Nicole Hooker, Viewpoints Editor

What is juuling?

Juul is a battery powered device that contains liquid nicotine. Recent news reports and social media sites have exposed the pervasive use of Juuls by young adults and children especially in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms. Juul products are insanely addictive and is extremely unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.  

According to the manufacturer, one Juul pod equals the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes and can have a lasting influence on the development of the teenage brain.

Smoking is still the leading cause of death in the US killing more Americans each year than alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs and fires combined. Studies show young people who use e cigarettes may be more likely to smoke In the future.

How it is harmful to your body

Using nicotine is harmful to the development of adolescence brain. The brain keeps growing and maturing until about age 25. The parts of the brain that control learning, memory, mood, attention and impulse control are especially affected. Each time a new memory is formed or a new skill is absorbed, stronger connections or synapses are constructed between the brain cells. Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adults brains. Nicotine changes the way the synapses are created and can further help the risk for a future addiction to other drugs.

The ingredients used in E-cigarettes can be harmful to the lungs in the long term. For example, some flavoring may be safe to eat but not too inhale because the stomach can process more substances then the lungs.

Not only do they harm you internally, but faulty E-cigarette batteries have causes fires and explosions in which have resulted in serious injury. Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing or even absorbing liquid through the skin or eyes.

What is in a juul pod?

Juuls contain other harmful products besides  nicotine. The inside of a juul pod contains various deadly and harmful chemicals like, nicotine, aerosol, ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, flavoring such as diacetyl, acetoin, pentanedione, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. All in which are linked to a serious lung diseases and cancer causing chemicals.

What is diacetyl?

Diacetyl is specifically worrisome because earlier studies has found that inhaling this chemical can lead to the development of a severe respiratory disorder called bronchiolitis obliterans also known as “popcorn lung.” The name popcorn lung originated in 2000 when several workers developed the disease from inhaling artificial butter flavor from microwaveable popcorn.  Both diacetyl and acetoin were found in the air that the workers were inhaling.

The symptoms of popcorn lung are most commonly, a chronic cough, fever, shortness of breath night sweats and weight loss. These symptoms can evolve slowly and subtly, gradually advancing to more disabling symptoms over time.

Nicotine

Nicotine is a stimulant that can raise you heart rate and increase blood pressure.  That being said, there is a greater chance for heart disease and a risk of suffering from a heart attack. Studies show that exposure to E-cigarettes narrows arteries by 30 percent and decreases the blood vessels’ ability to widen. Additionally, nicotine can stiffen the aorta, which is the main artery in the heart that supplies oxygenated blood to the whole body. Aortic stiffness can result in a stroke or aneurysm.

Most recent research shows that vaping also can modify DNA in the mouth of the vape user. At the University of Minnesota in the Masonic Cancer Center, a study was ran by collecting saliva samples from students before and after using a juul. They analysed the saliva and found DNA damaging chemicals.

The FDA

These products are not approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration as an alternative smoking aid. Until very recently manufacturers and distributors of cigarettes and other vaping devices were not up to the standards of safety made by the FDA. For smoked tobacco products, despite the new regulations e cigarette manufacturers are allowed to advertise a risk free image in their marketing and offer lurring candy like flavors that appeal to kids, adolescents and young children. There is limited federal supervision over e-cigarettes and other vaping devices making it difficult to evaluate the dangers of any specific product. Juul’s recent efforts to steer their marketing towards current smokers have failed.  In fact they secretly, but clearly target young people because of their advertisement tactics.