Dear editor,

Nicotine use is a serious issue in today’s society. E-cigarettes have been rising in popularity, especially among high school and college students. Many young students are under the impression that JUULs and e-cigarettes are less-addicting versions of regular cigarettes. In fact, some students aren’t aware that these e-cigarettes have any nicotine at all. However according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.” And according to the American Association of Family Physicians, “a JUUL has twice the amount of nicotine concentrate as many other brands of e-cigarettes.” The lack of knowledge students have about the contents of JUULs and other e-cigarettes is very concerning. Many students have little to no knowledge about the damage they’re doing to their developing brains and lungs.

Syracuse University officially became a smoke-free campus in 2015, however this hasn’t stopped students from smoking cigarettes and e-cigs. A single JUUL pod usually lasts the average user a day, maybe even less depending on how often they use it. This much nicotine in a developing brain can be extremely harmful. Nicotine is highly addictive, and using it can, “harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.” In addition, brain synapses, which are connections between brain cells that form when new memories or skills are learned, can be harmed when nicotine’s used. In addition to the nicotine in JUULs, the remaining aerosol can be very harmful to the lungs. It may contain air particles that damage the lung tissue, volatile chemicals, carcinogenic chemicals, heavy metals and diacetyl chemicals which are linked to many lung diseases. JUULs and e-cigs are dangerously popular on college campuses, like SU. JUULing has become a fad throughout youth in America. It’s obvious how popular it is when it’s constantly all over social media outlets like 5^th Year and Barstool Sports. Millions of college students follow these accounts and are exposed to their content on a daily basis. JUULing is often portrayed on these accounts as something popular and cool, which makes many young kids want to partake in it.

Organizations like the Food and Drug Administration need to take more action to promote the dangers of these e-cigs and remove them from the market or tax them more to prevent further use.

Sincerely,

Amanda Burnes

SU Sophomore