When e-cigarettes entered the U.S. market back in 2007, they were advertised as a way for smokers to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes.

E-cigarettes contained nicotine, which is considered to be the addictive stimulant found in traditional cigarettes, but did not contain tobacco – the substance that does the most harm to the health of smokers and a known carcinogen.

E-cigarettes
Since their rise in 2007, people have been using e-cigarettes as a way to quit traditional smoking. However, a byproduct of e-cigarettes called Juuls could actually be the cause of nicotine addictions now. Ethan Parsa / Pixabay

Enter JUUL. The Juul came out in 2015 and contained a mixture of nicotine salts that masked the bitter flavor of nicotine allowing for higher nicotine levels without the notorious bitter taste. A standard Juul cartridge contains 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine, or about 200 puffs, according to Juul’s official website.

While it can be used to kick the habit of smoking, many find that they are now addicted to juuling itself. Worryingly, most of the people addicted to juuling are teenagers. If you find you’ve developed a nicotine addiction caused by juuling and want to stop, here are some tips.

Get some exercise

According to a study done back in 2013, people who exercise lower their levels of nicotine cravings. Even bouts of moderately intensive physical activity such as light jogging can help to diminish nicotine cravings.

Another study also found that running alters the neurochemical activity in your brain to the point that it can squelch nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, exercising also helps relieve stress, which is a known smoking trigger

Consider Truth Initiative's app This is Quitting

This is Quitting is an app created by Truth Initiative, a non-profit that started as a quit-smoking advocacy group. Truth Initiative now helps people avoid the dangers that come with e-cigarettes, including Juul. The app includes a number of exercises and tasks that have been proven to help users quit. They also offer a free text message service that is designed to help you stay on track as you try to quit.

Talk to a counselor

In addition to being vital for your mental health, talking to a counselor can help you quit addictions better than if you tried doing it alone. It’s been found that people who enlist the help of a counselor or a therapist are more likely to quit compared to those who try to quit by themselves.

Avoid triggers

For some people, they use Juul after encountering a trigger be it unknowingly or knowingly. A very common trigger is stress. To help yourself quit juuling, identify your triggers so you can stop yourself from reaching for that Juul in your pocket.

Juul
A single juul pod contains about 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine, or about 200 puffs. Many find that they are now addicted to juuling and worryingly so, most people addicted to juuling are teens. Ethan Parsa / Pixabay

Quit cold turkey

A more extreme method of quitting is going “cold turkey.” Going cold turkey means completely swearing off juuling effective immediately. This method only works for some people but is still a viable method to try out in trying to quit juuling.

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