Since the invention of the Juul, more and more teenagers have been attracted to this new e-cigarette. Consequently, Vice Principal Ms. Kathy Saum said she is “alarmed at how quickly it’s growing, not just at Cathedral but across America.”

Due to the Juul’s growing popularity and health effects, the administration put into effect a new policy about the Juul, and may be found on Page 42 on the blue book. Using a Juul can now lead to punishment up to expulsion. 

However, Saum said the disciplinary board uses “Holy Cross values to treat each child as an individual in all disciplinary situations.” 

This means that, while some cases may lead to expulsion, not all will. According to Saum, this punishment is so severe because “Cathedral looks at the Juul as drug paraphernalia (equipment for using drugs). The pods can and do come with nicotine but you can also purchase pods with THC”

Saum noted that this policy is not just a school rule; it is the law. Currently, it is illegal for minors to buy Juuls and Juul pods. So far, the administration has been able to contain all of its Juul related issues within the school and no police assistance has been required.

Due to the Juul being a fairly new product, many misconceptions exist. Some people think that the Juul pods contain only water vapor and that you can’t get addicted to it. However, in reality, the Juul pods contain up to 0.7 mili liters of nicotine, according to the Juul website. 

This nicotine can also cause serious health detriments, according school nurse Mrs. Courtney Jennings-Sood. She said, “Nicotine kills brain cells, then it alters your behavior and can cause increased heart rate. It constricts your blood vessels, damages the function of your heart, reduces lung function and (causes) breathlessness.” 

These detriments could potentially affect any Juul user’s academics and also severely impair their ability to compete in sports.

According to Saum, the school wants “everyone to be the best version of yourself. Once you are locked into the Juul, it’s harder to be that self.”

Also, while some people may think that the Juul pods are invisible to drug screenings, nicotine is detected in the drug truck’s tests. According to Saum, this is due to the fact that the drug tests are update in order to identify the chemicals detected to whatever substances that are either new or trending. 

Furthermore, while the Juul was made to provide an alternative to cigarettes, according to Jennings-Sood it is still addictive “at a young age. It’s affecting your brain and all your organs which can be strongly linked to years of addicted behaviors and cancer.” 

For those who are addicted, you can email the nurse at [email protected] or visit her office by the auxiliary gym. According to Jennings-Sood, she can refer a user to a smoking cessation class within the Community Health network.

However, the easiest way to deal with the Juul is to not start. According to Jennings-Sood, “It takes one hit to get addicted, so just say no.”