Although it has been around for over a decade, vaping’s popularity exploded in 2017, taking many families, schools and healthcare providers by surprise. Vaping, or Juuling as it is often referred to by teens and young adults (named after a popular vape device called JUUL), is the inhaling and exhaling of an aerosol produced by using a vape device.
According to the University of Michigan’s 2017 Monitoring the Future study, nearly 1 in 3 high school seniors tried vaping in the past year. With advertising geared toward teens and young adults, brightly colored vape pens and thousands of flavors to choose from, the expectation is that growth will continue. Some estimate that the market will be worth over $60 billion by 2025.
For every story or article touting the benefits of vaping, there are an equal number raising concerns about the risks of vaping, especially for teens and young adults. This guide is intended to help you understand what vaping is, its appeal to youth and what research has to say about both the risks and unknowns, due to the lack of long-term vaping studies. We’ve identified some signs to look for and what to do if you are concerned that your child may try or actually is vaping. Lastly, we offer some advice on what to say when talking with your child about vaping.
