The number of kids aged 13-18 who have said they use e-cigs has gone up 75% this past year. A rising problem in schools across the country is students vaping. In the short time of e-cig popularity, the number of underaged users has sky rocketed causing for the talk of this being one of the major problems in our country. An estimated 3 million students have begun vaping in high school, which is around 20% of all students. Many students do it to fit in, there are very few that use it as a way of getting off cigarettes they just see as a new trend that they need to be apart of. The product that started this outbreak is Juul, it is a black USB like device that is very easy to hide, many students get them as anyone who was 18 could buy for them. “I’ve never seen someone juuling in the bathrooms or anywhere at Holt,” said Mitchell Terbrock (‘21).

These problems have made there way into Holt High School, where the school had to notify teachers to decline most students when they ask to go to the bathroom, only letting them go when it’s an emergency.  Students may not even lay a head down in class or cover their mouth with their hand because teachers are worried about the juuling in classrooms. “Kids vaping don’t effect me it is up to them to make decisions like that, what does affect me is the unnecessary bathroom changes. Kids who actually need to go can’t anymore because of the vapers,” said Trent Matheney (21’).

The Juul has grown into a 15 billion dollar industry, with most of its profit coming from underage users. Most underage kids do not realize the risk of vaping is to their body and many adults to not realize underage kids buying these products. I investigated that many students at holt know at least 3 or more people who juul on a daily basis. The Juul has taken e-cigarettes into the spotlight of school officials, parents, and government agencies. The FDA has since found that the juul contains many chemicals and have now stopped production of flavored pods, which the FDA thinks attracts underage users. Juul has also made efforts to stop the problem by only allowing 21 year olds to buy the product. The website still is not secure enough to stop underage kids from ordering them.

This problem that has spread across the country is showing no sign of stopping. The FDA is putting in lots of effort to end this problem now, but I think it’s gotten to far and there is no stopping the spread of underage smoking. The companies that the FDA shuts down will always have a company alike that will take its spot.  The newest one to get underage attention is the NJoy, which is more affordable and easier to get for underage kids, the epidemic will never end but there needs to be a way to get it out of the schools.