Juul is an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) company thatmarketed their e-cigarettes, known as vapes, as safealternatives to traditional smoking. The first Juul vape was released in 2015, and their rise in the seven years since has been astronomical. For several years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been conducting investigations of Juul and other e-cigarette companies because their products are widely used among underage highschoolers. IHS itself has had its fair share of trouble regarding vaping, and this issue has been a chief cause of the locked bathrooms all around the school. In Tompkins County more than thirty percent of high school seniors vape, according to the Community-Level Youth Development Evaluation Survey. In September 2018, as a result of the government investigations, Juul was given sixty days to develop a strategy for combating underage vaping. The very next month they pulled all but three “flavors” (vapes that emit various smelling vapors) from retail stores. The banned vape flavors had been ones more popular with a younger audience, such as mango and crème brûlée. The company also devoted an entire section of their website to limiting usage amongst highschoolers. However, many feel that the actions taken by Juul have not been enough. Critics point out that their advertisements and marketing policies seem to target a younger audience. Juul advertisements often feature fashionable young people having a good time vaping. Additionally, they give out free samples, which can be used to get people addicted so that they will come back for more.
Currently, Juul is facing close to four thousand lawsuits ranging from negligence to intentional product misrepresentation charges. A particularly severe lawsuit accuses Juul of selling one million tainted vape pods without informing the consumers of their contamination. Despite all of the heavy charges, Juul has thus far admitted to nothing outright. However, several large legal settlements have been reached, requiring Juul to pay millions of dollars in damages. The most recent and by far the most costly settlement was reached this past September and forced Juul to pay out 438.5 million dollars to thirty three different US states. This is, of course, only the latest in a line of costly settlements for the vaping titan, which has dolled out tens of millions more over the last several months. To put these losses into perspective, Juul has an annual revenue of around two billion dollars. Over the course of the last six months they have lost over five hundred million dollars, a quarter of that revenue. By no means does this spell the end of Juul, but what could be concerning for the massive company is the FDA ban on their products in light of recent legal developments. Juul has been granted a temporary reprieve and can still sell their products in the US, but it is not known how long this will last.
A common misconception is that e-cigarettes are significantly safer than traditional ones. According to numerous studies, this does not appear to be the case. Despite the short history of vapes, they have been shown to negatively affect the lungs and heart. Additionally, many teenagers are unaware of the fact that all of Juul’s products contain nicotine (a harmful chemical found in tobacco) which has been shown to be as addictive as heroin. In fact, the amount of nicotine in one Juul pod has been shown to have as much as is present in twenty cigarettes. Other harmful chemicals found in Juul vapes include formaldehyde and lead. The US National Toxicology Report has shown that formaldehyde is a carcinogen and poses a significant danger to human health. Lead also has a number of negative health effects, including brain damage if the dosage is high enough. In regard to secondhand smoke, e-cigarettes have simply not been around long enough for there to be an abundance of research, but a select few studies have drawn correlations between assorted negative health consequences and inhaling second-hand smoke. All in all, the idea that Juul e- cgiarettes are safe alternatives to smoking is doubtful and the company has clearly downplayed their products’ harmfulness.
While there may still possibly be an eventual US ban on Juul, they are still sold elsewhere all around the world. Though not necessarily in immediate danger of collapse, Juul may be forced to change their advertisement techniques so as to not take advantage of uneducated teenagers. With approximately two thousand vape
related deaths already, Juul will have to work hard to change thecurrent public perception. Many scientists and doctors have shown the adverse health effects of vaping, but it still has an appeal to a certain group of underage smokers who become addicted and are unable to quit. This is the cruel joke that cigarette companies of all kinds have played on consumers for decades. Once a smoker is hooked, they have to keep coming back for more to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Juul and other similar companies make money off of convincing people that there is little risk and then continuing to sell them products that ensure they will be back for more. This perverse cycle needs to stop and it is the hope of many that these massive corporations are finally brought to justice and teenagers can become better educated on the dangers of vaping.