GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – You won’t be seeing Juul products on the shelves of convenience stores anymore.
Bellin Health Family Nurse Practitioner Brittanie Pinter is in favor of the decision.
“I think it’s a really good idea.”
She says in some cases, there’s more nicotine in an e-cigarette than an actual cigarette
The FDA’s order to stop selling and distributing these products comes as the Department of Health Services says 32% of high schoolers in Wisconsin have tried e-cigarettes.
“I think just overall when we look at trying to keep our teens safe and healthy,” said Pinter. “We saw the biggest increase with that company in particular.”
Pinter adding previously, there was a decline in the younger populations as it relates to smoking cigarettes.
“With this influx in the Juuls, those rates went up significantly and there was research that showed teenagers that vaped were at an increased likelihood to switch to cigarettes. So I think targeting the teenage population led to this decision.”
Owner of Glass Monkey Smoke Shop Gregory Hale tells FOX 11 he’s not surprised by the decision either.
“We have no Juul products here, we actually haven’t had the Juul brand in a while.”
Though he says he’s in favor of these types of products being sold to those over 21 years old.
“Hard to understand that it was an artificial product that people were inhaling vs. natural gas as it was being perceived, the stuff in a concentrated from, the artificial nicotine, is caustic acid,” said Hale.
As for Pinter, she says the FDA order is a win for public health, but more needs to be done.
“I still have a lot of patients that still smoke both e-cigarettes and cigarettes in general. And I think until we cut that number further back we can’t say it’s a total victory.”
Adding some e-cigarette products are still toxic and cause damage to the lungs.
