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E-Cigs 2.0: The NextGeneration <br />In the decade-plus since their U.S. <br />introduction, electronic cigarettes, known <br />as e-cigarettes or vapes, drastically <br />evolved. E-cigarettes first resembled <br />conventional cigarettes, and now <br />have morphed into sleek gadgets, <br />like the JUUL pictured at left, that <br />have become the next big thing. <br />Youth love them for the big hit <br />of nicotine and their easily- <br />hidden, deceptive looks. Their <br />resemblance to USB flash drives <br />prompted some schools to ban <br />the drives as teachers can’t tell <br />the difference between the two. <br />Terms like “JUULing or jeweling” <br />and “vaping” have entered the <br />teen vernacular. Users have coined <br />dedicated hash tags on social media <br />and created videos of themselves doing <br />vape tricks or blatantly vaping at school. <br />Blu was formerly the <br />market leader in e-cigarette <br />sales but was redesigned <br />and now resembles JUUL <br />e-cigarettes. JUUL has the <br />largest market share. <br />FACT: <br />Nicotine is <br />harmful to <br />developing brains. <br />Nicotine interferes with brain <br />development and can have a <br />long-term effect on mental health. <br />Even brief or intermittent nicotine <br />exposure during adolescence can <br />cause lasting damage.1 E-cigarette <br />use by youth and young adults <br />increases their risk of using <br />conventional cigarettes in the <br />future.2 <br />So, what’s an e-cigarette? <br />E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that contain a <br />mixture of liquid nicotine and other chemicals. The device <br />heats this mixture, called e-juice, producing a nicotine aerosol that <br />is inhaled. E-cigarettes are also called e-hookahs, e-pipes, vape pens, <br />hookah pens or personal vaporizers. <br />FACT: <br />E-cigarette use <br />has increased <br />among MN youth. <br />The youth tobacco usage rate <br />has increased for the first time <br />since 2000. This is because <br />of the increase in the use of <br />e-cigarettes. One in five youth <br />(19.2 percent) currently use <br />e-cigarettes, according to the <br />2017 Minnesota Youth Tobacco <br />Survey. That is a 49 percent <br />increase since 2014’s survey.3 <br />FACT: <br />E-cigarettes are <br />not approved as a <br />cessation tool. <br />E-cigarettes have not been <br />proven to be better for quitting <br />than existing programs.2 For <br />those wanting to quit, there are <br />FDA-approved quit aids such <br />as gum, patches and lozenges, <br />available at little or no cost <br />through insurance companies <br />or Minnesota’s statewide <br />QUITPLAN® Services (www. <br />quitplan.com).