by John Pagnussati

An overlooked problem of the excessive number of teens who use e-cig products is that they contain large amounts of nicotine. Although all the recent news reporting has been about harmful contaminants, e-cigarettes are made specifically as an alternative method for cigarette users to get their nicotine.

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances available; just within a single use of an e-cig, teens can be hooked. An article published by The Kids Health explains how nicotine affects minors and states, “Nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine, which makes it extremely difficult to quit. Those who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time breaking the habit.”

The most popular e-cig product that teens currently use are Juuls, and the brand specifically markets it to improve the lives of many who smoke cigarettes by breaking their habit of using more traditional cigarettes. The Juul company warns the users in an attempt to keep non-cigarette smokers and teens away by stating, “This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical.” Nicotine is a stimulant alkaloid that is produced in plants such as the tobacco plant. According to the Child Mind Institute, “Teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing, which makes them more susceptible to using drugs and alcohol.” 

Minors all around the world are using e-cig products on a daily basis. The products contain many chemicals that have many alarming effects on the developing body of a minor. These e-cigs were made as an alternative method for achieving the nicotine needed by cigarette smokers to potentially increase the health of a user and was not at all intended to be used by people below the age of 18.