The Juul is an electronic cigarette, which uses disposable pods containing relatively high doses of nicotine. It was originally designed to help smokers find an alternative to smoking, but this vaping trend has instead become what Health Canada calls an “epidemic” for teens.

First gaining popularity in 2017, shortly after it was launched, Juul has been steadily dominating the vape market, leaving its closest competitors up in smoke. Tobacco companies have already started investing in the technology, and this may just be their saving grace.

As smoking declines, a new form of nicotine addiction has appeared. But why panic over one vape brand? What sets Juul apart from other e-cigarettes? And, why are these nicotine packed devices so popular among teens?

Canada’s Health Department released some startling statistics in 2017, revealing “23 per cent of students in grades 7-12 have tried a vaping product (referred to as an e-cigarette in the survey). Ten per cent reported using them within the last 30 days.” Newer statistics have not yet been released but it is presumed that these numbers have only increased. One can argue that this steady increase in vaping among Canada’s youth can be attributed to Juul’s popularity as a brand.

The company has already been scrutinized for its production and advertising of flavoured pods, which include mango and cucumber.  Juul markets its products for adults, but unfortunately, their variety of flavours seems to be more enticing to minors than former smokers. While other vape companies use similar methods of manufacturing flavoured e-liquids, no other product seems to be as accessible and inconspicuous as the Juul. In fact, their convenience and accessibility has led to them being used and sold in high schools around the country.

While the research is still inconclusive on the degree of harm that Juul or any other vaping products cause, we do know a few things that may justify the product’s usage in certain situations. Cigarettes contain hundreds of chemicals, while Juul pods contain only five ingredients (glycerol, propylene glycol, nicotine, benzoic acid, and food-grade flavouring). E-cigarette vapour also contains lower concentrations of potentially toxic chemicals than cigarette smoke. For smokers trying to quit, these are positives.

A single Juul pod fits 0.7 ml of liquid. Yet it holds 59 mg/ml of nicotine (5 per cent strength). This seems like an absurd amount, even for smokers trying to quit. And unlike smoking, vaping is easy to do just about anywhere without being noticed. When vapour is released into a room, there is no lingering smell. This easy accessibility often leads to heavy consumption as the user is not entirely aware of how much they are taking in. This combination of factors results in a heavy dependency on the product.

The Juul, among other vape products, is acting as a gateway to nicotine addiction for many teens.  Several have already claimed that vaping is the future of smoking. While this may be a convenient cessation tool for smokers, a better collective effort to keep these devices out of children’s hands is needed.