I received a high school parent newsletter just last week informing us about something called "juuling." Mind you, parents just got over the whole Tide Pod fiasco, so I wasn't happy to know that there's a new dangerous trend happening in our children's schools.
Although my daughter is very shy, she's extremely susceptible to peer pressure, which is probably the case for many teenagers. It beats me how they come up with all these strange ways to endanger their lives, but it's our job as parents to be on top of what they're doing.
The "Juul"
We all know what a vaping device looks like, but what if it looks like an ordinary object we all have lying around our house?
A "Juul" is an e-cigarette that looks identical to a USB flash drive. Our first thought when we see one of these devices is that it's for homework, and when you even pick it up, it looks like it could be inserted into a computer.
That's why teenagers have been secretly vaping without parents and teachers finding out. It's been reported that students have been "juuling" in libraries, bathrooms, and even under their desks.
"The first time was in the lunchroom. Everyone else was hitting it and I was like "alright, I want to try that." I guess I knew there was nicotine in it, but I had no idea that it had so much. When I hit it for the first time it was, like, really crazy. I felt a really big buzz off of barely anything," an anonymous teenager told Knight Life News about his vaping experience.
"At first it was just fun and it was something that you could do anywhere. It's so easy. Then it just became something I was doing nonstop. Now, I go crazy if I don't have it," he added.
As the hashtag #doit4juul is gaining traction on social media sites, here's what you can do to make sure your children are safe:
The dangers of "Juuling"
While the company, JUULvapor, says their products are not intended for youth, since buyers must go through an age verification process to prove that they are 21 or older, it's believed that teenagers are using fake IDs or buying them off of unregulated websites.
"You can only buy a pack of four pods and it's 16 dollars," said the anonymous teenager.
According to Life Hacker, each pod, which is around 200 puffs, has the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. The concentration is said to be more than double of other vaping products.
The device heats the nicotine juice to create vapor, which smells like fruit, which is why so many kids are getting away with it.
Signs of "Juuling"
If you smell fruit when there's none around, that's a good sign that something is off.
If your child is thirsty more often, has become sensitive to caffeine, and is starting to have nosebleeds, you may need to may closer attention to them.
Make sure you talk to your kids about the dangers of nicotine and the long-term effects it will have on their mind and body.
Juuling is addictive and dangerous. Share this article to help keep our kids safe.
