Vaping among teens on the rise, according to study

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - A new study reaffirms vaping among teens is on the rise.  New numbers from a study funded by the government show vaping has doubled among high-schoolers this year compared to last. 

“There's a concern that by vaping we're now having many more kids that would otherwise not been exposed to nicotine now are getting exposed to it,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse

The FDA calls vaping a “youth epidemic." Many experts say newer e-cigarettes like Juuls are partly to blame. 

“We call it the hidden danger and it’s to the point now where it’s kind of trendy to try and get away with it,” said Steve Riddle, executive director of the Gulf Coast Region of the American Lung Association.  
“Cigarettes are no longer trendy because of the smoke and the smell and the residue that’s left; Juuls don't have that."

They do have about as much nicotine as a full pack of old school smokes, however.

Inside Purely Vapor in Tampa, it is adults only. The store does not sell Juul pods.  

“It almost seems like they're being marketed towards a younger audience, we want to avoid that entirely,” clerk Griffen Weeks said.