Session: Emerging, Hot Topic: Juuling and Youth: How Regulators and Providers Are Failing - Evidence and Ways Forward (Society for Prevention Research 27th Annual Meeting)

Novel tobacco/nicotine products, such as pod-based e-cigarettes (popularized by the brand “JUUL”, which dominates the American e-cigarette market with 72.8% market share) commonly referred to as “vapes,” have commandeered the global market. Adolescents are using these products more than cigarettes. Still, we have found health care providers, educators, or researchers are not aware of and do not understand nor discuss these products with their adolescent patients.

The aim of this symposium is to empower providers and tobacco control professionals to prevent and reduce youth use of these products.

In this Hot Topic paper symposium, we will provide data that can be used as a basis to develop prevention, harm reduction, and cessation interventions for youth and to advocate for regulatory protections.

First, how Juul’s design and the company’s marketing, especially on social media, together with nicotine levels and use of nicotine salts instead of freebase nicotine have impacted rates of youth use will be discussed. Next, recently collected data of youth self-reported reasons for and patterns of use of Juuls and other pod-based e-cigarettes will be presented. We will then introduce a novel prevention curriculum that is being used to help increase knowledge about and prevent and reduce adolescent use of Juuls.

The presenters will also come together to respond to audience questions and moderate a discussion. Finally, we will provide a list of evidence-based resources, including links to related local, state and federal regulatory actions and advocacy efforts.