Juuling at Los Altos: a closer look

As Twitter user @JerryPressure eloquently puts it, “[The] three phases of 2018 [were] tide pods, Juul pods and airpods.” While Juul pods may not have been the unhealthiest pod of 2018, it certainly was one of the most popular. Juuls are one of the many varieties of e-cigarettes that have not only infiltrated the nicotine industry, but also high schools all over the US. The number of teenagers who vape has soared from 11.7% in 2017 to 20% in 2018. And as a high school in the Bay Area with a high-pressure environment, Los Altos is far from immune to what Food and Drug (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb calls “an epidemic of e-cigarette use among teenagers.”

The Talon takes a closer look at how the recent rise in teenage vaping has affected the Los Altos community. The school data in this article is based on an anonymous survey and student interviews conducted by The Talon.