Sources of youth access to JUUL vaping products in the United States

Highlights

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  In a survey of 9865 adolescents aged 13–17 years in the United States 79.6% of those who reported having used the JUUL vaporizer in the last 30 days obtained the JUUL device from at least one social source (e.g. ‘someone bought for me, someone offered to me) in the past 30 days.

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  20.0% of current JUUL using adolescents bought JUUL products themselves.

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  Among youth who bought JUUL products themselves, the most common place of purchase was ‘a gas station or convenience store’.

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  Reducing youth access to JUUL vaping products will require a greater focus on measures that deter or penalize legal-age purchasers who give or sell products to minors.

Abstract

Introduction

This study assessed sources of youth access to JUUL vaping products, the highest selling brand of the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents in the United States.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey assessed use of JUUL vaping products in a non-probability, nationally representative sample of 9865 adolescents aged 13–17 years in the United States. Past 30-day JUUL users (n = 1537) were asked how they got the JUUL vaping products they had used in the past 30-days. Those who reported having bought JUUL products themselves were asked about the places and people from whom they had bought products. Population-weighted percentages and 95% confidence intervals are reported for each source of access.

Results

An estimated 79.6% (95% CI = 77.5–81.6%) of current JUUL users obtained JUUL products from at least one social source (e.g. ‘someone bought for me, someone offered to me) in the past 30 days. By comparison, 20.0% [95% CI = 18.0–22.0%) of current users bought JUUL products themselves. Of 1322 youth who reported obtaining JUUL products from at least one source or by buying products themselves in the past 30 days, 77.5% (95% CI = 75.3–79.8%) had obtained JUUL products exclusively from social sources (i.e. they did not buy products directly), 17.2% (95% CI = 15.2–19.3%) obtained JUUL products exclusively by buying the products themselves (i.e. they did not obtain products from any social sources), and 5.2% (95% CI = 4.0–6.4%) had obtained JUUL products both from social sources and from buying the products themselves. Among youth who bought JUUL products themselves, the most common place of purchase was ‘a gas station or convenience store’ [53.1% (95% CI = 47.5– 58.6%)].

Conclusions

Youth who are currently using JUUL vaping products obtain these products predominantly through social sources, such as friends and peers. Youth sources of access to JUUL vaping products appear to mirror youth sources of access to other tobacco products. Reducing youth use of JUUL vaping products will require a greater focus on measures that deter or penalize legal-age purchasers who give or sell products to minors.