Through the clouds of vape around every corner, It can be hard to see an end to Juuling addiction. Levels of addiction may vary, but it seems there is hope for every fiend to finally come out of hiding and breathe normally again.

Teens have heard about how unhealthy Juuling is for their body time and time again, but the feeling of invincibility pushes those reasons to the side. Registered nurse Kathleen Vendola says “they don’t even realize they’re getting addicted to nicotine,” and that “it’s just like smoking.”

Side effects include chemicals being deposited directly into the lungs, increased risk of cancer, worsened medical conditions, future cigarette addiction, and many more.

However since the E-Cigarette epidemic has only just begun and there is no health regulations, “It will take years to see the ravages of it,” says Vendola.

So why don’t kids stop Juuling? The truth is that while many do understand the health risks, they don’t know where to start when quitting ‘cold-turkey’ isn’t an option. There is limited information on how to quit and few adults who would help without being enraged at the decisions of the minor. This leaves teens in the dark without medical help, support or guidance.

Vendola says that students seem disgusted by cigarettes because of the known health effects, but don’t know that vaping “is the same as smoking and is just nicotine addiction with a new delivery system.”

“Nicotine is a drug, so E-Cigarette addiction will be the same as getting rid of any other addiction,” Vendola says, “It’ll have to be treated the same as teenage smoking in the 70’s and 80’s.”

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health claims  E-cigarettes are shown to contain potentially harmful substances such as nicotine, tin, nickel, lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ultrafine chemicals that embed in the lungs, many cancer causing chemicals, and diacetyl in flavoring that is linked to serious lung diseases.

However when teens were asked what they thought the contents of their Juul Pods were, the only known ingredients were “Nicotine and some kind of liquid.”

Vendola says the first step to quit is to “recognize your addiction, and get educated on what it is.”

  Addiction is a mental phenomenon, so without a desire to ditch the Juul the goals that are set are never going to be met. Knowing this, Vendola says that one of the most important factors is to want to quit. If the potentially life threatening consequences aren’t motivating enough, then it is important to find other benefits such as saving money, lessened stress due to the lack of constant need for nicotine, eliminating the risk of being caught, and no longer facing punishment.

Former smoker, Jaimie Cooke, recommends to next limit accessibility. The most effective method is to remove all nicotine related products from your possession and to stop socializing with other addicts in peer-pressured environments.

“The first few days will be difficult, but after you make it a short amount of time then you’ll progressively stop craving it.” says Cooke.

Cooke also says that if your willpower is too weak for such a sudden change, then by limiting yourself to a certain number of pods per week, lowering it as time progresses, and only using flavors you dislike then withdrawal symptoms should lessen making it easier to quit.

Finally, Vendola says you could trade your current nicotine addiction for a healthier one to take its place. Whenever craving nicotine, try consistently replacing it with a task such as chewing gum, drinking water, or going for a walk. After a week or so, you should stop thinking about Juuling for the most part.

After all is said and done, Both Cooke and Vendola say it is vital to reward yourself with something for after you’ve quit. This end goal will encourage consistency and make the journey less of a hassle for the addict. Quitting addiction is something many people struggle with, so being proud and making sure to maintain the new lifestyle is important to living a happier, healthier life.