Myth or reality: vaping epidemic amongst Young Americans
A new vaping device has begun to seriously worry the education sector in America. It’s name: the Juul, which perfectly imitates a USB key. Young people in America have become totally enamored with this object. Consequently, teachers and parents are starting to signal the alarm bells. More and more people are now demanding that the government pass tougher legislation to combat this supposed vaping epidemic.
The Juul is an electronic heating device for nicotine. It can be charged via the USB port of a computer. These new generation of devices also offer the possibility to use flavored capsules that are particularly attractive to young people. Also, since the device looks similar to a USB stick and does not emit much odor, the Juul can go completely undetected in education establishments, much to the alarm of education administrators.
At the beginning of the year, a number of reports were published outlining the dangers that vaping can pose to young people. In these reports, the Juul was considered one of the primary reasons for the current vaping epidemic amongst young people. This information caused a veritable media storm … for better or for worse.
Alarmist remarks for a situation largely under control
Following these reports, Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an investigation into the manufacturer of the Juul device. The company, based in San Francisco, immediately reacted to criticism by offering $30 million to be used to limit Juul access to young people. Nine months ago, the company banned the sale of its products to people under twenty one years old.
On their side, authorities have reinforced anti-vaping laws, and companies are now forbidden from touting the health benefits of vaping compared to traditional cigarettes.
And yet, the vaping statistics amongst young people are very encouraging. The number of students who vape in high school went down from 16% to 11% between 2015 and 2016. Indeed, it appears that the supposed “vaping epidemic” is far from a reality.
