The Vaping Crisis

In almost every state, you have to be at least 18 years old to buy or use e-cigarettes. Yet vaping has skyrocketed among American minors in the past few years. According to a recent government study, more than a quarter of high school students had vaped in the past month—over double the rate in 2017. More than 10 percent of middle schoolers also reported that they had used e-cigarettes.

Many teens have been attracted to the sleek devices and tobacco-masking flavors—such as mango and mint—made by Juul Labs. That company sells the majority of vaping devices and pods in the U.S. Juul’s popularity among youth may not be accidental. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been investigating whether the company intentionally marketed its products to American kids and teens.

In almost every state, you have to be at least 18 years old to buy or use e-cigarettes. Yet vaping has skyrocketed among American minors in the past few years. According to a recent government study, more than a quarter of high school students had vaped in the past month. This is more than double the rate in 2017. More than 10 percent of middle schoolers also reported that they had used e-cigarettes.

Many teens have been attracted to the sleek devices and tobacco-masking flavors—such as mango and mint—made by Juul Labs. That company sells the majority of vaping devices and pods in the U.S. Juul’s popularity among youth may not be accidental. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been looking into whether the company purposely marketed its products to American kids and teens.

Invented about 15 years ago, e-cigarettes have often been advertised as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco. But because e-cigarettes are relatively new, researchers say, not enough research has been done to study all their effects. “There is so much we don’t know,” says Dr. Emily Chapman of the Children’s Minnesota hospital system.

One thing doctors do know for sure: E-cigs deliver dangerous amounts of nicotine. One Juul pod contains about as much as a pack of 20 cigarettes. 

What’s the big deal? Nicotine can damage your brain, specifically the parts that control your mood, learning, and attention span, says Thomas Ylioja of National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. Plus, nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Once you’re hooked, your brain wants more, “even at the risk of your own health,” says Ylioja, an expert in helping people quit smoking. 

E-cigarettes were invented about 15 years ago. They have often been advertised as being safer than smoking tobacco. But because e-cigarettes are relatively new, researchers say, not enough research has been done to study all their effects. “There is so much we don’t know,” says Dr. Emily Chapman of the Children’s Minnesota hospital system.

Doctors do know one thing for sure. E-cigs deliver dangerous amounts of nicotine. One Juul pod contains about as much as a pack of 20 cigarettes.

What is the big deal? Nicotine can damage your brain. It can harm the parts that control your mood, learning, and attention span, says Thomas Ylioja. He works at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. Plus, nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Once you are hooked, your brain wants more, “even at the risk of your own health,” says Ylioja, who is an expert in helping people quit smoking.

Vaping may also be destroying users’ lungs. One teen vaper in Texas had so much lung damage that doctors had to put him on a machine for 12 days so he could breathe. A study found that some patients’ lungs looked like those of people who’d been exposed to toxic chemical spills. 

“We don’t know how well people will recover from the injuries, whether lung damage might be permanent,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC. 

Experts haven’t pinned down exactly what is causing the recent outbreak of vaping-related illnesses. Most of the victims had been vaping products with THC, a chemical in marijuana. But some reported that they’d vaped only e-cigarettes with nicotine. Health officials are particularly worried about black market vaping products—especially those with THC—that were bought illegally on the street or online. Still, Piper says she mostly used Juul and other nicotine vapes that she bought in a store.

Vaping may also be destroying users’ lungs. One teen vaper in Texas had so much lung damage that doctors had to put him on a machine for 12 days so he could breathe. A study found that some patients’ lungs looked like those of people who had been exposed to poisonous chemical spills.

“We don’t know how well people will recover from the injuries, whether lung damage might be permanent,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC.

Experts have not pinned down exactly what is causing the recent outbreak of vaping-related illnesses. Most of the victims had been vaping products with THC. THC is a chemical in marijuana. But some victims reported that they had vaped only e-cigarettes with nicotine. Health officials are particularly worried about black market vaping products, especially those with THC, that were bought illegally on the street or online. Still, Piper says she mostly used Juul and other nicotine vapes that she bought in a store.

A number of states have become alarmed at the rising number of young people who are vaping. They have sought to discourage the use of e-cigarettes by banning the fruit-flavored vapes teens love most. (In response to criticism about targeting kids, Juul has announced that it will stop selling fruit- and mint-flavored pods.) 

In addition, lawmakers are calling on the FDA to move faster to study e-cigarettes and determine the harmful elements they might contain. One bill currently in Congress would require the government to educate Americans about the dangers of vaping, as it has done for years about smoking tobacco (see sidebar, below).

The good news is that teens are increasingly aware of the dangers of vaping—and new groups are helping them kick the habit. For example, one national organization, The Truth Initiative, offers a free text-messaging program to coach teens and their parents through the process. 

As for Piper, her terrifying visit to the hospital was a serious wake-up call. Left with chemical burns on her lungs that may never go away, she has since quit vaping. Today, Piper is focused on raising awareness among young people about the risks of vaping. In October, she attended a National Day of Action rally in Washington, D.C., and spoke to senators about regulating vaping.

“It’s kind of like we’re the guinea pigs when it comes to vaping, just like our grandparents’ generation was when it came to cigarettes,” Piper says. “People have to realize it’s not worth the buzz. It could cost you your life.”

A number of states have become alarmed at the rising number of young people who are vaping. They have tried to discourage the use of e-cigarettes by banning the fruit-flavored vapes teens love most. In response to criticism about targeting kids, Juul has announced that it will stop selling fruit- and mint-flavored pods.

In addition, lawmakers are calling on the FDA to move faster to study e-cigarettes and figure out what harmful elements they might contain. One bill now in Congress would require the government to educate Americans about the dangers of vaping. It has done this for years about smoking tobacco (see sidebar, below).

The good news is that teens are becoming more aware of the dangers of vaping. Plus, new groups are helping them kick the habit. For example, one national organization, the Truth Initiative, offers a free text-messaging program. It coaches teens and their parents through the quitting process.

As for Piper, her terrifying visit to the hospital was a serious wake-up call. She was left with chemical burns on her lungs that may never go away. Piper has since quit vaping. Today, she is focused on raising awareness among young people about the risks of vaping. In October, she went to a National Day of Action rally in Washington, D.C. She also spoke to senators about regulating vaping.

“It’s kind of like we’re the guinea pigs when it comes to vaping, just like our grandparents’ generation was when it came to cigarettes,” Piper says. “People have to realize it’s not worth the buzz. It could cost you your life.”