With the rise of products such as vapes or Juuls, some teens try to impress friends by using them without considering the possible consequences. But why are teens drawn to these products, specifically?  Are they making the decision to use these products because they’re easier to buy or to seem cool and fit in? They don’t understand the possible ramifications of their actions.

Juuls and vapors are much more accessible than most other cigarettes or drugs. While in most states the legal age to buy cigarettes is between 18 or 21, Juuls are easier to get because most are sold online. Teens can use parents’ credit cards or other methods to effortlessly buy a Juul. If a teen gets their hands on one of these, they are easy to hold onto. Most vapes resemble pens in their shape, their small size, and, for the most part, they are easily concealable. Juuls are built to resemble a USB-drive so they can be carried around without much notice to them.

Some teens feel obligated to try vaping or other forms because of friends. Teens are always latching on the new cool thing to impress peers. Sometimes friends may try to threaten or bully others just because they don’t want to try the cool thing. So, to fit in or stop the bullying, teens feel forced into using a Juul or a vape. The best thing to do is to say no, no matter how hard it might be; it will benefit your life in the future.

Vaping or using a Juul can affect your future in big ways. The people selling Juuls or vapes say it’s better than smoking because it won’t hurt you. They say you can do it without consequences. That’s not always the case. Vapes and Juuls are built to help smokers stop smoking, most aren’t built for teens to abuse. Juul pods have the same amount of nicotine as one box of cigarettes, meaning that one Juul is more addicting than the average cigarette. That’s why it becomes so much more dangerous. Teens can get addicted with just one JuulPod and it also takes more nicotine for them to get their fix in the future.

Due to the easy access of these products, kids are getting addicted to nicotine and slowly ruining their lives. While Juuls or vapors can help smokers trying to quit, they shouldn’t be abused for pleasure. Juuls are plaguing high schools and creating addicts out of innocent students. The only way to help fix the community is to avoid the use of these products and raise awareness about the health and future effects of these nicotine machines