GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Less than a month after declaring youth vaping an epidemic, federal officials reported that an electronic cigarette company recorded massive sales growth, posing risks to young people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that the creators of JUUL, a rectangular E-cigarette resembling a USB drive, saw a 641 percent sales increase from 2016 to 2017. The 2017 numbers accounted for nearly one third of nation E-cigarette sales.
The report emphasized JUUL’s popularity among young people, particularly students smoking at school. The mechanics of the device make it appealing to students, said Dr. Lisa Lowery, division chief of pediatric specialties at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“It’s easy to use,” Lowery said. “It’s small. It's convenient. All the things that we wouldn't want, especially for the young people, and the JUUL provides that."
The report indicates that the data may be underestimated because it did not include internet or vape shop sales. “Many of the sales likely reflect products obtained directly or indirectly by youth,” the release said.
Lowery said she's seen patients as young as 11 who have vaped or have friends who vape.
“[I ask] them just like I ask them, ‘Do you smoke cigarettes? Do you smoke marijuana? Do you drink alcohol?’” she said. “I have added vaping into my list of questions for harm and risk reduction.”
The Food and Drug Administration recently seized more than 1,000 pages of documents from JUUL Labs to obtain information about its marketing and sales as part of an investigation into its popularity among teenagers. In a statement, JUUL Labs’ CEO said the company is cooperating with the FDA.
Parents need to have conversations with their children about vaping at younger ages due to the popularity of products like JUUL, Lowery said.
“Be aware and have those talks with your tween or preteen about what they might be exposed to,” she said. “We don’t know the long term effects like we do with our history with cigarettes, but they’re not safe to smoke.”
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