Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB NHL Golf Horse Racing Tennis Col. Football Col. Basketball
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features Archives
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Archive Almanac
About Feedback
About Feedback
Search
Trending
Southwest Airlines
EPA
Venezuela
Doug Reinhardt
National emergency
'Walking Dead'
Monsta X
Facebook privacy
F-18 Super Hornets
Amazon
Cuba
Health News
Feb. 7, 2019 / 3:31 PM

Nicotine levels in Juul, other e-cigarettes may spark addiction epidemic

Researchers say the levels of nicotine that Juul's e-cigarette products debuted with in 2015 spurred a nicotine arms race, and has the potential to addict a new generation of teens to the chemical.

By
Tauren Dyson
Juul pods have had nicotine levels comparable to traditional cigarettes since their debut, but now ompeting brands are offering products with nicotine content similar or higher than the trendy e-cigarette. Photo by sarahjohnson1/Pixabay

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The success of industry leader Juul has spurred a widespread e-cigarette culture that may fuel a nicotine addiction among youth -- at least partially because of the high levels of nicotine the company's products contain, a new study says.

There are 39 copycat e-cigarette devices that offer equal or higher amounts of nicotine than Juul, which had among the highest levels of nicotine when it debuted, according to new research published Thursday in journal Tobacco Control.

"Until recently, most e-cigarette liquids carried 1 to 2 percent nicotine, with a few considered 'super high' at 3 percent, intended for the two-pack-a-day smoker," Robert Jackler, a researcher at Stanford University and study senior author, said during an interview. "In 2015, Juul introduced a 5 percent nicotine vaping liquid with a novel chemistry -- nicotine salts -- which improved palatability, enabling higher concentrations of nicotine without undue bitterness."

Now the Juul pods have more nicotine than a package of tobacco cigarettes. Competing brands offer products that range from 5 percent to 7 percent nicotine content.

RELATED 'Low-risk' teens more likely to transition from e-cigs to smoking

And sales of Juul have taken off, shooting up by 641 percent from 2017 to 2018.

Jackler says many of these e-cigarette products mislabel the amount of nicotine in the packet. This type of misrepresentation, he thinks, adds to the addiction problem.

The issue has become such a concern, the surgeon general issued a warning, calling e-cigarette use an "epidemic."

RELATED Text program may help teen e-cigarette users to quit

Jackler thinks the e-cigarette craze is unraveling decades of public health efforts to keep nicotine out of the hands and lungs of high school kids.

This is important because some view Juul and other e-cigarette products as a safe way to help kick the habit of smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, Jackler says e-cigarettes have had the opposite effect by introducing teens to nicotine who likely otherwise wouldn't smoke.

He also thinks nicotine can act as a gateway to harder, more lethal drugs.

RELATED FDA, e-cigarette firms grapple with how to restrict kids' vaping

"For a teen, becoming nicotine-addicted greatly increases the likelihood that they will graduate to traditional, combustible cigarettes," Jackler said. "Importantly, nicotine addiction during adolescence increases the vulnerability to subsequent addictions, like opioids or cocaine. For most users of illicit drugs, their initial addiction was to nicotine."

  • Topics
  • E-cigarettes
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more UPI news and photos.

Trending Stories

Number of push-ups men can do in a row may indicate heart health
HPV unlikely to be spread by hands, researchers say
Smoking may hurt body's fight against skin cancer
More primary care physicians in the U.S. may prolong lifespans, study says
Apple-, pear-shaped body determined by genetics, study says

Photo Gallery

 
Balloons take flight at Al-Ula Balloon Festival in Saudi Arabia

Latest News

Stored soybeans could spoil before China trade conflict ends
5 Americans arrested in Haiti during violent protests
On This Day: U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima
Famous birthdays for Feb. 19: Roger Goodell, Millie Bobby Brown
UPI Almanac for Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy