Juuling. I don’t know about y’all, but I had no clue what juuling was up until a few weeks ago. It was while sitting in a school representative meeting when the word first came across my thoughts. Juuling is something ALL parents need to be educated about, no matter the age. I am writing this coming from a mom of 3 (7, 6, and a little over 2 1/2 years old).
What is juuling?
So what exactly is juuling? Juuling is just a slang term referring to a particular brand of E-cigarettes, Juuls. Some may even call it vaping. E-cigarettes are the new trend for the younger generations, even those in middle school. You heard me right. I wanted to drop down on the floor when I heard that children as young as 11 and 12 years old were participating in the smoking of E-cigarettes.
It all comes down to being educated. When we don’t know the how, what, whens of things, then they don’t appear as harmful. E-cigarettes are the new trend of smoking cigarettes. It is the use of a battery-powered device, some as small as a USB drive, to produce aerosols to be inhaled. Cartridges are placed inside of these devices, filled with tobacco products as well as some marijuana products.
These devices are not producing water vapors.
A lot of people (young and old alike) are misinformed that these devices are not harmful and only producing flavored water vapors. This is not true. These E-cigarettes contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. What makes them even scarier is that since they are so easy to use, no lighting required, that an individual can smoke an entire cigarette pack’s worth in a matter of minutes when using an E-cigarette.
The younger generations are under the concept that these E-cigarettes are not harmful and that they are just for fun. The flavors that these cartridges are available in are directed towards the younger generations in mind: bubble gum, cherry, fruit punch, etc. No wonder these kids think that it is ok to be juuling.
Time to educate.
The way I look at it, the more we know, the better we can prevent. Know what juuling is and educate your children. E-cigarettes are not safe and are just as addicting as a regular cigarette. Teach them to not be ones to ‘test’ or partake in others doing things that they are unsure of. I believe most children don’t tend to start up on any bad habits. They come after experimenting with their peers.
Be open with your children. Talk to them and give them a safe zone. When they feel safe and comfortable coming to you, they will be more willing to open up with all those questions and less likely to attempt to start up on something that would not be safe for them.
Learn more from the LA SADD website!
