According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among young users. While smoking cigarettes is at a decade low among teens, e-cigarette use is on the rise. The report noted that 27.5% of high school students use e-cigarettes.
Reasons for the Rise
With the availability of multiple flavorings and marketing aimed at younger people, it is no surprise that more teens are using e-cigarettes. According to the report, 22.4% of teens who used e-cigarettes did so because of the flavoring. Companies such as Juul, the largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes, are under fire for their improper marketing toward young people. The company used appealing flavorings and targeted marketing to hook teens on the product. The company used social media and the depiction of young people in party atmospheres to help advertise their product. Juul also gave away free products at music festivals in an effort to attract consumers. Juul marketing also implied that e-cigarette use was safer than smoking cigarettes. The long-term effects of e-cigarette use have yet to be demonstrated.
Dangerous for Teens
The CDC has noted that e-cigarettes are a dangerous product for teens. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is an unsafe chemical. It has been shown that nicotine is highly addictive and can have an adverse effect on adolescent brain development. Juul e-cigarettes, in particular, contain a high concentration of nicotine and is one of the few products that use nicotine salts. Nicotine salts make it easier for a high level of nicotine to be inhaled.
Most teen Juul users have no idea that the product contains nicotine or the adverse effects nicotine has on brain development. Nicotine has been shown to have an adverse effect on the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Nicotine changes the way synapses in the brain are formed. In addition, there is evidence that the use of nicotine in adolescence can lead to future addiction to other drugs.
Contact a Dangerous Products Attorney
If you or your child has been injured by the use of Juul or other e-cigarettes, you should consult with an experienced product liability attorney. Gregg M. Goldfarb has over 20 years of experience helping the injured. Contact him online or call us at (305) 374-7000 to schedule a free consultation.