Did you know JUUL e-cigarettes contain a large amount of nicotine which is a highly addictive substance? A single JUUL pod contains about as much nicotine as 20 regular cigarettes (or a pack). JUUL uses nicotine salts, which allow high levels of nicotine to be inhaled more easily and with less irritation than the free-base nicotine that is typically used in tobacco products, including other e-cigarettes.  Some e-cigarette labels do not disclose that they contain nicotine, and some e-cigarettes marketed as containing 0% nicotine have been found to contain nicotine. 

Nicotine can harm your brain, which will continue developing until your mid-twenties.  Using nicotine can harm the parts of your brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.   Each time you make a new memory or learn a new skill, stronger connections are built between brain cells. Nicotine changes the way these synapses are formed.  Using nicotine may also increase your risk for future addiction to cigarettes and potentially other drugs (CDC, 2019, cdc.gov).   

If you want to quit smoking, vaping or using other tobacco/nicotine products, contact Health Promotion and Wellness at (814) 863-0461 to schedule an appointment for the Freshstart Smoking Cessation program. For more information visit https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-wellness/healthy-living/smoking-cessation-resources