FDA cracks down on Juul’s teen marketing efforts
Infographic by Gabriella Backus
January 8, 2019
After decades of seeing smoking rates decline, groups like the American Lung Association were hopeful that younger generations would eliminate the habit. However, some argue that a new addictive product being marketed toward teens is reversing that trend: JUUL e-cigarettes.
Billed as a safer alternative to smoking, JUUL advertised itself as a nicotine vapor company that didn’t contain cancer-causing tobacco. With this new “healthy” label, the popularity of vaping has drastically increased. Financial service companies like the Cowen Group are observing economic growth within the vaping industry leading to more advertising dollars.
“Vaping is one of the fasted-growing segments in both nicotine and cannabis,” Cowen analyst Vivien Azer said in a report.
Instead of seeing smoking rates decline, the enticing flavors and packaging of Juuls has led to an increase in teen e-cigarette use not only in their spare time, but in their day-to-day lives.
“There has been a big increase of vaping on campus, everyone is doing it from freshmen to seniors,” campus supervisor Tony Gonzales said. “We come across more nicotine being used on campus, rather than marijuana.”
Juuls have a higher nicotine content than many other e-cigarettes. The amount of nicotine in one Juul pod is roughly equal to the amount of nicotine in an entire pack of cigarettes and is double what other e-cigarettes hold. Teens are more likely to get addicted to the flavored e-cigarettes and believe they are less harmful. However, Juuls deposit nicotine into their bloodstream — creating a head rush — without the tar that is present in cigarettes.
The primary ingredients in vape juice and pods include water, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, flavoring and nicotine. Each juice has a different concentration level of nicotine that should be taken into account when choosing a flavor.
Propylene glycol (PG) is a controversial chemical compound that can break down when in contact with high heats. When broken down, PG changes into polymers which can weaken lung tissue. Glycerin is considered a safe chemical in small quantities, but should not be consumed in copious amounts.
After receiving complaints from parents of addicted teens, Juul manufacturers agreed to work more proactively with the FDA. They have also promised to assist in efforts to prevent underage use of their product.
“My son got completely hooked on nicotine, leaving him anxious, highly irritable and prone to angry outbursts,” the mother of a 15-year-old boy said in an article written by Drew Schwartz titled “This Mom is Suing Juul Because Her Teen Is ‘Unable to Stop’ Vaping.”
“…the FDA said it would revisit its compliance policy for e-cigarette manufacturers announced last summer, which delayed the deadline for e-cigarette products to apply for FDA approval from August 2018 to August 2022,” Nitasha Tiku said in a Wired article named “FDA Cracks Down on E-cigarettes to Curb Teen-vaping ‘Epidemic.” “Products that were on the market as of August 2016, including Juul, can stay on shelves.”
Vaping is generally done with a portable pen or mod, where most gadgets require cartridges or tanks filled with vape juice for nicotine consumption, or with oils and wax for marijuana consumption.
“I use my mod interchangeably with a vape tank and wax cartridges,” a student, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
Nicotine is not the only substance being vaporized—marijuana is too. Vaping cannabinoids (THC and CBD) in wax pens produce less of a smell and still delivers the naturally occurring chemical compounds into lungs without the combustion of plant material.
Some teens prefer pens for smoking, but not to avoid chemicals found in weed, such as tobacco.
“Wax pens produce less smell, are easy to conceal and are easier to hit,” junior Isabela Young said.
With this convenience comes a downfall, not all companies tell consumers everything present in their pods or cartridges.
Most brands and companies in the marijuana industry produce products with no cutting agents/non-cannabis additives; some companies, however, use questionable methods to create their wax, and some use additives and thinners.
The most common additives present are glycerin and PG. Regardless, health concerns don’t always pose a big risk in teens minds. Teens will continue use their coping methods whether or not chemicals are involved.
¨I don’t really care if chemicals are present, I will continue to use my pen,” junior Kim Nguyen said.
Cutting agents (non-cannabis additives) are commonly avoided in marijuana, and a more natural thinning solution is present.
“Terpenes are believed by many to be harmless flavorings because they are natural products,” Robert Strongin, a study author and professor of organic chemistry at Portland State said in interview with Healthline.
Marijuana plants contain natural terpenes and flavonoids that can be extracted and added to cartridges to naturally derived flavor.
Students who consume these products should research trustworthy brands and check if the companies use naturally derived or chemically made substances to avoid long-term health consequences.
Paul J Molinaro MD JD • Nov 11, 2019 at 5:39 PM
The Vape Industry Has Fanatical, Vocal, and Fanatical Supporters
As many people know, I have been making many posts and comments about vaping, e-cigarettes, nicotine addiction, and civil lawsuits against the manufacturers, distributors, marketers and sellers of e-cigarettes and vaping products (collectively, the “vape industry”). The vape industry has taken products with the potential to help some tobacco smokers quit their unhealthy and deadly addiction and created an entire new generation of nicotine addicts with an insatiable appetite for their products.
Some people say that the vape industry has employed the same marketing tactics used by “big tobacco” decades ago. Such a statement is only partially true, because the vape industry may have started by using “big tobacco’s playbook,” but it went much further and used social media to market directly to young children and young adults (“youths”). The vape industry employed social medial “influencers” to create a vape culture which made the very act of vaping appear to be hip and cool to youths. The vape industry created vaping devices that looked like the everyday gadgets carried around by youths. Vaping devices which resemble flash drives, pens, cellphone cases, smart watches, jewelry, and even clothing are just some of the products marketed as “stealth vaping” products. The vape industry handed out “free” products at concerts and other public events which were attended by youths. The vape industry went into grade schools and colleges under the guise of providing information about addiction to actually promote vaping. The vape industry made its products taste like candy, gum, popcorn, mint, and other flavors that appeal to youths. The vape industry shamelessly promoted its products as safe to a young and naïve generation. The result is the epidemic which is causing disease and death among youths around the world.
The above are not just my opinions but the opinions of many people who want to end the vaping epidemic. Healthcare professionals, scientists, and concerned parents have created websites, lectured, written peer reviewed journal articles, and taken all manner of actions to educate the public about the dangers of vaping. While the vape industry has hired pseudoscientists and celebrities to refute the claims made against vaping, an enormous backlash against the accurate and truthful information comes from the youths who are addicted to vaping. When vape addicted youths get to comment on an online article, study, post, public service announcement, or advertisement from a law firm looking to help them, they rant and rave about their rights, how stupid the anti-vapers are, and, quite surprisingly how safe vaping is. These youths simply write off the accounts of vaping illness and death as false stories and propaganda, or state that the products which caused such harms are not the vapes they use. The vape industry has indeed created cult members to consume their products.
Fighting this epidemic will take governmental regulation, public education, aggressive parenting, and, yes, civil lawsuits. As with big tobacco, asbestos, surgical mesh, opioids, and other deadly and dangerous products, taking money from these industries was what truly changed their behavior. A civilized society cannot allow greed to overcome morals, ethics, and consciences.
And… as I end most of my posts (rants or tirades)…
If you are 25 YEARS OR YOUNGER and ADDICTED to a JUUL device, you may be entitled to compensation. My name is Paul J. Molinaro, M.D., J.D., and I am a California physician and attorney. If you live in CALIFORNIA and your first experience with nicotine was through a Juul device and you are now addicted, please contact me for a free / no-obligation consultation. I want to hear your story. I want to tell your story to a judge. (www.888mdjdlaw.com).
* The above text may be considered an ad from a California law firm.
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