That’s their cue to reach quietly for a small, sleek device they can easily conceal in their palms. It resembles a flash drive, but instead of computer files, this device stores nicotine.
They take a hit, sucking on the device as they would a cigarette. Then, “they blow into their backpacks ... or into their sweater when the teacher isn’t looking,” said Elijah Luna, 16, a sophomore at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom, California, about 30 miles east of Sacramento.
The vapor cloud is so small and dissipates so quickly that teachers are usually none the wiser, said Luna, who added that he’s never tried it himself.
“I think this is going to be the health problem of the decade,” said Milagros Vascones-Gatski, a substance abuse counselor at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia. In nearly 17 years working with teens, she said, she’s never seen a tobacco product become so popular so quickly. Three to four students are caught smoking e-cigs on campus each week, and some are suspended, she said.
Vascones-Gatski, along with other concerned educators and health care experts, consider “Juuling” more than youthful rebellion. Because Juuls are high in nicotine, they fear the devices are extremely addictive for this vulnerable population.
Assuming a teen smokes one pod a week, “in five weeks, that’s like 100 cigarettes,” Ling said. “By that point, you’re considered an established smoker.”
E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat up liquid nicotine to generate an aerosol that users inhale. Vaping is more discreet and easier to get away with than smoking traditional cigarettes.
Although its manufacturer, Juul Labs, said the device is intended exclusively for adult use, it is appealing to youth because it can be easily charged on a laptop. Its decal covers also come in colorful designs, and the pods are available in flavors such as mango, mint, and crème brûlée.
The odor Juuls produce is subtle and could easily be mistaken for a lotion or body spray.
“It’s stinky and fruity,” said Luna’s friend Cody Maratas, of the smell he encounters inside school restrooms when others are Juuling.
Other online users describe “craving nicotine” and complain about “fiends” who ask to borrow their Juuls at school. One has solved this by charging freshmen $3 for a hit.
“That’s a symptom of nicotine addiction,” Ling said.
Juul Labs said it wants to help schools get its products off their campuses. Spokeswoman Christine Castro said the company has created a curriculum to educate youth about Juul and nicotine addiction, with input from academics. It’s available for any school that is interested, she said.
If users get through the age-verification process online, they can buy a Juul starter kit, which includes the vaping pen and four pods, for $50. That’s expensive for most high school students—which is why Juuling might be more prevalent in affluent communities. “In order to vape, you need money,” said Vascones-Gatski, noting that most students at her high school either work or receive big allowances.
“That basically locked in the products that are in the market for another four years,” Willmore said.
Meanwhile, schools continue the battle.
At Needham High School in Massachusetts, Principal Aaron Sicotte said e-cigarettes started appearing on his campus last school year, and soon Juul became the most popular brand.
The school has alerted staff “so that when these fall out of students’ bags, teachers don’t hand them back,” he said.
While the hype surrounding Juuls might die down, Sicotte doesn’t expect vaping to go away. “I think this is something that will remain in the fabric of adolescence,” he said. “The access is too easy, the draw is too great, and the push through advertising is too significant.”
