The ‘Juul Room’: an Increasingly Popular Destination among High School Students

Allison Long

Allison Long

Nine out of ten students at Ludlowe said that they have seen people Juuling in the bathrooms in 2019. It appears that a lack of knowledge about the new vaping trend among teenagers has caused a ‘Juuling Epidemic’ throughout American highschools.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 37% of American 12th graders admitted to vaping within the past year.

Tierney Maloney, a senior at Ludlowe reported multiple instances of seeing “a group of girls in a circle outside or inside of a stall using a Juul.” “It’s obvious,” Maloney described, “Everyone in the bathroom knows what they’re doing.”

According to the New York Times, just this year alone,  there have been 2,200 cases of vape-related illnesses in the U.S. Furthermore, 47 people have died from vaping linked illnesses. 

The FDA has started to investigate these apparent respiratory illness related to the use of vaping.

 As a result, in October, Juul Labs, a well known vape distributor among teens, stopped selling all fruity, ‘kid-friendly’ Juul pod flavors.

However, the ‘fruity’ pod ban did not put a halt to the teen Juul Epidemic. The company continues to sell its menthol flavor, which is popular among teenagers. 

As reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the percentage of 12th graders vaping increased 9% since last year. Matthew McCloskey, a dean at Ludlowe, described the epidemic as a “big problem for the nation.” 

 Daniela Otalora, another senior at Ludlowe, noted that it was usually the underclassmen who were in the bathrooms using vapes. 

Otalora explained that vaping is more popular among younger students because “they want to feel like they fit in and look cool.” 

While vape companies market their product as a way to help people quit smoking, in reality vaping acts as a gateway drug to many teenagers in high school. 

A study conducted by CNN  revealed that ninth graders who use e-cigarettes are up to four times more likely to use marijuana in 11th grade.

As more students start to give into peer pressure, whether it is at Ludlowe or across the nation, they must realize that their actions have consequences. It is evident that there are serious negative effects of long-term vaping as more and more people are being hospitalized.

Henceforth, extensive research must be performed on the ingredients and effects of vapes before teens will recognize the harm they are doing to their bodies.