Juul nicotine hit may be ‘Worst for kids, best for smokers’

WASHINGTON – E-cigarette startup Juul has quickly conquered the US vaping market with a small, sleek device that packs a powerful nicotine punch.

But the Silicon Valley-based company’s rise coincided with an explosion of underage vaping by teens. Last year, 1 in 5 U.S. high school students reported vaping in the previous month, according to a government survey.

Regulators and lawmakers are now scrambling to find solutions, including flavour bans, new taxes and raising the purchase age for all vaping products from 18 to 21.

But there has been far less scrutiny of Juul’s defining feature: a high-nicotine dose delivered via an easy-to-inhale vapour. Researchers say Juul’s quick, powerful nicotine hit is one reason it is so popular with adult smokers — and so risky for teenagers.