Introduction
Vaping may seem like a good alternative to smoking, and although it doesn’t contain tobacco and many other harmful ingredients in cigarettes, it can still cause many negative consequences. It can be dangerous, especially if your brain hasn’t fully developed. Although people say that using Juul (an e-cigarette) and vaping helps people quit smoking, it’s actually not healthy because it’s addictive and is filled with harmful ingredients.
Nicotine Addiction
Using Juul is addictive. Juul contains the same amount of nicotine in one pod (200 puffs) as a whole pack of cigarettes. (NBC News). Nicotine is an addictive drug that is used in multiple tobacco products. Since it’s addictive, it will be harder for you to stop using it once you start.
Harmful Ingredients
Juul contains harmful ingredients that are bad for your body. It has Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause problems in your eyes, nose, throat, nervous system, kidney, and liver, plus headaches and nausea (Cancer.org). It also has formaldehyde, which can cause cancer (Cancer.org). These chemicals cause different things that are bad for your body. People that are using Juul have a higher risk of these problems occuring.
Teenagers Vaping
A lot of teenagers are vaping, and it’s more harmful for them than it is for adults. Many start due to peer pressure, or the fact that “its decal covers come in colorful designs, and the pods are available in flavors such as mango, mint and crème brûlée,” which attract teenagers (NBC News). It also likes like a flash drive and can be easily hidden from teachers and parents. (Center 4 Research) Some kids think that it’s just water vapor (Center 4 Research). The nicotine in Juul leads to addiction, so they continue to inhale harmful ingredients. Vaping is more harmful for teens because they are more likely to start using it because of the flavors and designs, or influence from friends, and may not realize that they are taking something dangerous. Eventually, the nicotine will cause them to become addictive, and that can cause problems in brain development (Cancer.org). When teenagers use vapes, they get addicted and they can’t stop using them. This can lead to many problems for these teenagers later in life.
The “Benefits” of Juuling
Juul and e-cigarettes help people quit smoking, and the use of tobacco products. Juul doesn’t contain tobacco, but still has nicotine. “The high nicotine levels and nic salt formula also make the transition from traditional cigarettes easier.” (Electric Tobacconist). Since smokers are addicted to the nicotine, they will be able to use Juul without feeling like they need to use tobacco. With more people switching to Juul, less people will be addicted to tobacco products. However, Juuling is still addictive, so even if you stop smoking, removing your use if nicotine completely will still be difficult. Also, Juul still has harmful ingredients that can still cause problems. Plus, if Juul was to help people quit smoking, there is no need for it to come in flavors and designs that attract kids and teenagers.
Conclusion
Since vaping and using Juul is addictive, it’s not a healthy alternative to smoking. Not to mention all of the negative things the different harmful ingredients cause. There are other ways to quit smoking that don’t involve as much nicotine. Although it does help people quit smoking, and has less dangerous ingredients, it still has multiple unhealthy stuff in it and that is why it’s not a good way to quit smoking.
Biography
Navya is a middle school student who enjoys Math, Science, and Social Studies. Navya also takes Indian Classical Dance, and enjoys learning about Indian culture. She lives in Massachusetts with her mom, dad, and sister.