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About one in five teens used e-cigarettes in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s compared to just 1.5 percent of teens who used them in 2011. Experts believe that increase may be because of the rise of Juul, a sleek, USB-shaped device that delivers highly concentrated nicotine in a variety of appealing flavors such as mango and mint.
Because Juul is so small and discrete, teens can use it anywhere, even at school, without attracting much attention. These factors “all add up to a product that is leading to a new epidemic of nicotine addiction among youth,” says , professor in the Departments of and at Ƶ Health. Nicotine use among youth can damage the parts of the brain responsible for mood, learning, and attention. E-cigarette use can also precipitate cigarette addiction in adolescents, she tells MarketWatch.
Dr. Shelley recommended users hoping to quit to keep their mouths occupied with chewing gum or candy.
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