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It's Vape Free November: Let's Talk about Vaping & Juuling

Sky Ridge Medical Center Discusses Common Questions

November 14, 2018

The use of of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is on the rise among teens, but are e-cigarettes any different from regular cigarettes? Staff at Sky Ridge Medical Center worked with partners at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute and community leaders to address some common questions about e-cigarettes, including the misconceptions, side effects and more.


What is an e-cigarette?

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid, known as e-liquid, into an aerosol that people then inhale and exhale. They usually contain nicotine, the addictive drug found in cigarettes and other tobacco products as well as flavoring and other chemicals. 

E-cigarettes are also known as e-cigs, e-hookahs, vapes, vape pens, tank systems, or mods.

What is Juul?
Juul™ is a brand of e-cigarettes that looks like a USB flash drive ... it is sleek and high-tech looking. This brand has skyrocketed in popularity among teens across the United States. Educators have even reported an alarming level of Juul use in middle and high schools. Each Juul pod may contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, but a recent study found that 63 percent of current Juul users ages 15-24 did not know the product contains nicotine.

According to Tobacco Free Kids, Juul e-cigarettes are:


  • Available in sweet flavors including mango, fruit medley, and cool mint
  • Small enough to fit in a closed hand
  • Now over half of the e-cigarette market

What should parents know?
Young people are using e-cigarettes at an increasing and alarming rate. Between the years 2011-2015, the U.S. Surgeon General found that the use of e-cigarettes among high school students increased 900%, with more teens using e-cigarettes than conventional cigarettes. 

While traditional cigarette smoking has decreased in high school students, e-cigarettes are clearly on the rise. In fact, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recently announced that Colorado teens have the highest incidence of vaping in the country.  Here are some quick facts:


  • Juul use and vaping risk addiction to nicotine
  • Nicotine can harm adolescent brain development
  • E-cigarette use increases teens’ risk of using traditional cigarettes in the future
  • E-cigarettes are not subject to the legal restrictions to which cigarettes and other tobacco products are required to adhere, according to the American Cancer Society

On November 2, 2018 Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order and proclamation recognizing Vape-Free November in Colorado. The order is aimed at reducing tobacco use and vaping among youth.

He’s teamed up with several of the state’s leading health organizations to raise their voices in concern over Colorado’s youth vaping rate.

To learn more visit, www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/VapeFreeNovember.

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