Nearly 300 Jefferson County teenagers expressed an array of opinions about vaping in an online survey created by the Leader Teen Advisory Board, but there were a couple of common themes.
Vaping is widespread among local high-school students, mostly using products sold by JUUL, and more could and should be done to stop the epidemic.
“It is everywhere,” one teen commented in the anonymous survey, continuing ominously, “You think your kid hasn’t tried it … Even the good kids make very bad decisions.”
The 10-question survey was made available to students at about 10 Jefferson County high schools represented by the Teen Advisory Board. Some 292 students responded.
The majority of students chose to remain anonymous, but 40 of them indicated they were willing to be interviewed and gave their names.
Here are some of those responses:
Angelica Sprous said others she knows who Juul say they do it to relieve stress, but she said she doesn’t “see the point” of vaping. “There are other alternatives.”
Cayden McGuire said Juul products are designed to be attractive to young people.
“I think (the products) mostly (are) targeted toward young adults with their sleek look. They just fell into the wrong hands (younger teens).”
Eli Smith said he would tell teenagers who Juul, “Don’t do it. It’s not cool. It’s not healthy for you.”
In addition to using JUUL to relieve stress, anonymous responders gave several reasons for vaping’s appeal – it provides a way to connect with friends, some teenagers think it is fun to try new flavors, and the activity itself can be appealing, for example, some like the smoke clouds that vaping can produce.
Below are the survey questions and a sampling of the anonymous responses:
■ How often do you vape/Juul?
– 70 percent of responders said they had never used Juul, while 13 percent said they used it more than once a day.
■ If you use JUUL, are your parents aware of it?
– 18 percent of users claimed their parents don’t know they use Juul and 12 percent claimed their parents do know.
■ How old were you when you first tried JUUL?
– The responses showed the average ages for the use of Juul is around 15, 16, and 17 years of age.
■ What do you think the main appeal is for vaping/juuling?
– Most students claimed the appeal was that Juul is a way to connect with friends.
■ Do you think you are/would be capable of quitting electronic cigarette usage?
– Of the students that do smoke Juul, the majority claimed they could quit their usage.
■ I have information about any health risks associated with vaping/juuling.
– 71 percent of responders claimed they do have information while 21 percent claimed they lacked health risk information.
■ I know where to find help if I want to stop using vapes.
–76 percent of responders claimed they do know where to find help while 24 percnet claimed they did not.
■ Do you think your school is preventing JUUL and other electronic cigarette use on campus?
– 56 percent of students claimed their school was lacking in enforcement of a tobacco free policy.
■ What could your school do differently to prevent JUUL use on campus?
– “I think they could try more locker, bookbag, and locker room checks, and also pay more attention to their students in class. There have been multiple cases of students vaping openly in class, and the teacher either didn’t witness or acknowledge the situation at all.”
– “Introduce real stories of how teens have been negatively affected by Juuls.”
– “Our school has anti-vape posters in the bathroom, and regularly advocates not using Juul or other e-cigarette products. I believe that there is nothing more to do, if students want to use, they will use. Other than explaining health risks and taking them away, there is nothing left unless you infringe on their constitutional rights.”
■ Do you think companies are targeting teens with social media advertising?
– 66 percent of students claimed that companies are targeting teens.
■ What would you like to tell adults about vaping/juuling?
–“I would like to tell them that any type of smoking is bad for your heart and for the parents that are juuling/vaping they are just influencing their kids to do this stuff.”
– “It’s far more addicting than a lot of nicotine products. And your child’s “flash drive” is probably not a flash drive.”
– “More kids than you think vape/juul. It is important to educate yourself and others about its dangers.
“It has become the new ‘teens smoking cigarettes.’ Do what you can to not let this become the new normal.”
