The Delaware Division of Public Health is advising parents and teachers to be aware of a recent trend among youth known as “JUULing.”
JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that looks similar to a flash drive and can be charged in the USB port of a computer.
Pods for the system come in a variety of fruit and candy flavors, the devices can be difficult to distinguish from a real flash drive, and the vapor dissipates quickly instead of hanging in the air like a smoke trail.
This has caused concern among school administrators across the country as youth have taken to “JUULing” on school property, even in class.
According to state division, the Truth Initiative study found that 37 percent of 15 to 24-year-old JUUL users are uncertain whether the product contains nicotine.
“There is no safe form of tobacco,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Students are under the impression that “JUULing” is safe and that these products don’t have nicotine, however, that is not the case. We believe it is important to educate parents and teachers about this trend, and e-cigarettes in general, and that it is critical that students understand the dangers posed by JUULs and nicotine as well.”
According to the product label, just one pod used in a JUUL allows for 200 puffs and contains the same amount of nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
Nationally and in Delaware, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.
In 2014, Delaware banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, and a year later the state expanded the Delaware Clean Indoor Air Act to include prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic vapor devices in workplaces and indoor public place.
