Don’t Juul While I Use the Urinal
Why I think Juuling should be banned on campus
It seems like everywhere I go I see people using Juuls. Juuls are USB flash drive shaped devices that release vapor when inhaled. These devices were initially pitched to stop smokers from using cigarettes. Juuls garnered widespread recognition because of its marketing for cigarette smokers.
In 2018, Juul sales reached over $1 billion. As of 2019, Juul Labs Inc., the maker of Juuls is valued at $38 billion.
Don’t let the cool vapor fool you. These devices are intended to inhale nicotine.
When I first transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University, I was impressed by the school’s talk about being environmentally sustainable. FGCU approved to make the university a smoke-free campus on May 2016.
However, there were things that didn’t seem to fit that message.
According to FGCU’s policy, “Becoming a smoke-free and tobacco-free University enables us to better fulfill our mission by keeping the air clean of toxic chemicals, and our physical spaces clean of tobacco-related debris.”
The policy apparently extends to Juuls: “Smoking also includes the use of an electronic smoking device which creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device is prohibited.”
My first day at the university was pretty usual for me. Parking at the university was a hassle, but when I spotted a parking spot I quickly parked.
The run to class was filled with flavorful smells from Juuls that students were using. This wasn’t surprising considering that Juul sales increased by 800 percent in 2018.
Disillusion ran throughout my body. I couldn’t believe that after years of being warned that nicotine was addicting, people were willing to use Juuls. A pod, which is filled with juice that’s filled with nicotine, has the equivalent to a packet of cigarettes.
It’s easy to say Juuling is different from smoking, but the Surgeon General has warned about the possible effects of second-hand vaping.
According to the Surgeon General, heavy metals and tiny particles that can harm the lungs have been found in secondhand e-cigarette aerosol.
Before class, I had to use the restroom. I walked into the restroom. The first urinal was being used, so I took the only other one that was open.
The restroom smelled like cotton candy, which I thought was odd but pleasant. The walk to the urinal was weird. I started to use the urinal and then came the vapor. It was blinding to the point that I couldn’t see. This is where my disapproval of “Juuling” on campus started.
I don’t feel that the university has enforced its own policy. Every day since the day of the urinal experience, I’ve seen students and professors both Juul. Ironically, I’ve seen these people Juul in front of signs that designate the campus as smoke-free.
For a product that launched in 2015, Juul has implemented itself in our culture because it marketed itself as a way to stop smoking. This is simultaneously happening as nonsmokers are starting to use Juuls.
According to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, among the 3.6 million tobacco product users in 2017, a total of 2.1 million used e-cigarettes. This report includes teenager usage.
I think a solution to the issue of Juuling on campus is to educate the upcoming generations. It may not be easy, but it’s important to guide future generations in a path similar to how my generation was guided away from cigarettes.
Juuls have affected our society more than we realize. Over the course of its launch, Juul, has been a part of an investigation into whether or not it targeted teenagers in its advertising and marketing campaigns.
In its initial campaigns, Juul only used models that were 21 years old, which suggested brand awareness that teens could be interested in, according to the cut.
The company denies purposefully targeting minors and has changed the age of purchase for the device from 18 to 21 years old.
A good step that FGCU has taken to stop Juuling is its usage reporting form. The form essentially is an incident report for when students see people using Juuls and other tobacco products. A member of the Somke-Free Tobacoo-Free Campus committee reviews the form and determines the course of action.
Another way to keep the usage Juuls off of campus is to know who is behind the company. Altria is the same company that owns Marlboro. The product is intended to stop people from using nicotine not introduce them to it.
However, this argument fails when you know that Juul tried to market to teenagers.
Smoking indoors is prohibited in most places. It seems like people who Juul don’t know or willfully ignore this. It’s not uncommon at the university to see and smell the vapor from people using Juuls indoors.
Another solution to stop the usage of Juuls on campus is to fine the people that do. It would be the equivalent of stopping cigarette smoking indoors. This makes sense because it reduces the amount of secondhand exposure to the vapor that is released by Juuls.
The usage of Juuls is on the rise, but together we can aim to stop the vapor from not letting us aim at urinal.
