JUUL is trending with college students

Move over Virginia Slims, your cigarette daydreams are over. A sleek new vape device known as JUUL (pronounced jewel) is on the shelves of select retailers and is quickly gaining popularity among college students.

James Monsees and Adam Bowen co- founded JUUL. The two shared a similar dissatisfaction with the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes, but could not find an alternative. So, they took matters into their own hands. Literally. 

They created a stylish product delivering a nicotine level not found in any other alternative smoking devices.

The Intent of the JUUL was to provide a healthier smoking alternative for cigarette smokers. According to Juulvapor.com. its creators are committed to “eliminating cigarettes and providing smokers with a true alternative.”

It is designed unlike other e-cigarettes and promises to deliver the same if not better effects of smoking a cigarette.

The new device has become a going out accessory for college students – mainly among nonsmoking college students, which could cause problems in the long run.

The small, attractive device packs power. The JUUL is a slim e-vape pod that uses an e-liquid formula consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, natural oils, extracts and flavor, nicotine and benzoic acid. The juice is heated using a standard industry wick and nichrome system. The pods are a “closed system” meaning the e-liquid cannot be refilled. Each JUUL pod contains 0.7 mL with 5 percent nicotine by weight, approximately equivalent to 1 pack of cigarettes or 200 puffs.

Although vaping is considered a healthier smoking alternative, this phenomenon could be more harmful to young adults than they think. Dr. Muhanad A. Hasan warns against nicotine’s highly addictive powers.

“Nicotine is extremely addictive and I would not advise anyone who does not already smoke cigarettes to start using it because it could lead to more tobacco consumption,” Hasan, a pulmonologist, said.

Nicotine itself is not harmful, but it is highly addictive and can cause you to start smoking cigarettes, which is a very unhealthy decision. It goes against the original intent of JUULing: to end smoking.

“I would never smoke cigarettes. They smell gross and taste gross and the tobacco is so bad for you, I hate cigarettes, but Juuling is fun, not something to do all the time though,” said Peyton Hager.

JUUL is broken down into three main parts. The JUUL:

There is the main device (the largest piece), and there are pods, which are  small and square shaped with flavored liquid nicotine (cool mint, mango, Virginia tobacco, fruit nedley, etc.).

Then there is a charger, a

In Tallahassee the average price of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes is $5.50. For those who go through a pack a day, that’s roughly $40 a week for cigarettes.

A JUUL may prove to be more cost effective in the long run. The device itself sells for $34.99 online and averages $35 at authorized retailers. A four pack of pods cost $15.99. The total kit containing the JUUL plus a four-pack of pods costs between $50 and $55.

According to JuulWraps.com cigarette smokers spend an average of $2,285 a year. Using one Juul pod a day, your annual costs are about $1,471, saving consumers roughly $1,000 if they switch from tobacco.

The primary consumers are college students. An employee at the smoke shop on Gaines Street says JUULing is mainly a trend among college students.  “The tobacco age is 18 so our buyers are mainly college students ages 18-25,” he said.

On average the lifespan of the JUUL pods depends on how often you smoke. If you’re a chain smoker you might run through a four pack in a day, or if you are just a social JUUL-er one pack might last you a couple of weeks to a month.

If you have been smoking cigarettes and looking for a way to stop, JUUL may be the best option for your journey to a tobacco-free life.  

Read more on JUULing at:

 

https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolinekee/juul-ecigarette-vape-health-effects?utm_term=.oi7KdeJ5M#.ym4PkxN9o