Whether you’re at the mall, in class, a college dorm room, or most commonly, at a college frat party, there is one thing you can be sure of: someone around you is definitely in possession of a JUUL. The trendy new epidemic that has taken the collegiate world by storm.

The small, rectangular piece of metal resembles what any unaware person might assume is a USB device or a simple toy or something of the sort. What it actually is, is a form of electronic cigarette that can even be charged from a USB port in a laptop. It has in a sense “gone viral” and the popularity and commonplaceness of this device is almost alarming. From the original vaping trend to e-cigs, nicotine is available for young people in a vastly more common way.

In the state of New Jersey, recent legislation has made it so purchasing products that contain nicotine/tobacco is illegal under the age of 21. Now, I think we can agree that for those that are truly determined, this new legislation is not particularly deterring.

Hitting a JUUL is almost like a right of passage for frat boys, perhaps on par with smoking from a cigar and “Saturdays for the boys,” and the trendiness of JUULs is making it increasingly more popular for college girls and guys to be using them. And while this is supposed to be the “better” alternative to cigarettes, a solution that is supposed to offer the nicotine high that cigarettes give with none of the carcinogenic chemicals. But does better really mean better? No smoke you inhale is just vapor. JUUL smoke is the same, as it includes plenty of toxins and irritants.

But before I get on a soapbox about JUULing, let me admit: I’m no stranger to JUULs. Not only have I frequently used them, I have many friends that are avid users. We’re all under the impression that they’re fine, a safe way to get a nicotine buzz.

And those of us that aren’t under that impression, don’t particularly care anyway. We’re young, we don’t take care of our livers or our lungs. And I mean it’s a small metal rectangle, how much damage can it do anyway?

Potentially, a lot. So next time you go to reach for that JUUL, no matter how hooked you’re on it, try to not take that hit (it's hard, I know.)

But even then, I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to talk through a hole in my throat for the rest of my life.