The Juul is a relaxing, stress-relieving device constructed of an addictive, dangerous ingredient- nicotine. The purpose of this message isn't to point fingers at Juul users and tell them off. It's to reconsider why we're all hitting Juuls, to begin with.

Our generation is unfortunately used to older generations constantly telling us that what we're doing with our lives is all wrong. In case you need to hear it, it's not. Has our generation made some stupid choices like eating tide pods or swallowing a live goldfish? Sure, you bet. Except Juuls aren't just temporarily hurting us, it'll impact us later on in our lives even if we don't want to acknowledge it.

Being a 21-year-old college student, I understand what it's like to be a Juul fiend- yes, I called myself a Juul fiend. I used to have the Juul for months, spending $20 on a pack of pods that would last me less than a week and having to go to the bathroom during holidays just to sneak a hit away from the family. I even quit at one point and about a month later I went right back to it, during an exceptionally stressful month. I understand why our generation loves it so much, it helps rid of all the stress in our lives with just a few, calming hits.

Juuls help people rid of stress with a quick, easy solution. Teenagers, college students, and young adults certainly experience stressful times, trying to determine your future while still struggling through financial issues and a lack of career opportunities- it be like that sometimes. Although, when everyone in society is telling us it's an awful decision, even the CEO of the company that created it, shouldn't we take a step back and reconsider this device?

According to NBC News, Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns publicly stated,

"I'm sorry that their child's using the product. It's not intended for them,"

referring to the parents outraged and concerned for their child's new addiction.

The company now begins to remove some pod flavors from stores, shrink its social media presence and revamp ad campaigns. The rare look inside the new ad campaign displayed in the NBC video is focused on targeting adult smokers trying to escape the risk of lung cancer. The CEO realized the Juul's negative impact on younger generations, as he makes an attempt to reconstruct its image away from younger audiences.

According to the American Lung Association, there's substantial evidence that if a youth or young adult uses an e-cigarette, they are at increased risk of using traditional cigarettes. It's also proven the main component of e-cigarettes, the e-liquid, consists of nicotine, which can cause irreversible lung damage. My grandmother smoked cigarettes when she was young and now struggles with constant breathing issues, relying on oxygen tanks for her every breath.

Visiting my grandmother at her assisted living home, she struggled to breathe as she said to me,

"Whatever you do, promise me you'll never smoke a cigarette."

Seeing her in frustration and pain as half a dozen oxygen tanks and yards of breathing cords surrounded her room, I couldn't imagine her reaction if she found out I'd already been using a Juul for months.

The generations before us didn't have all the information about cigarettes and now they're paying the price for its long-term effects. Our generation doesn't have all the information about Juuls, so who knows what long-term effects it'll have on us. The Juul can help smokers quit smoking, but it's meant for them, not young adults picking up on a new trend. Yes, our generation suffers from daily stress, but there are other ways to lose stress besides hitting the Juul. Therapy, yoga, journaling, listening to music, exercising or adopting a pet are some of the more productive ways to rid of stress. As an avid dog lover, I may be biased but I think there's nothing more exciting than coming home after a long, stressful day to seeing my dogs' ecstatic, wagging tails as they greet me with slobbery, wet kisses. Instead of relieving stress with the Juul, consider adopting a furry friend for an even better opportunity to keep the stress away.

Adulting is hard, but keeping the Juul won't make it any easier, just more dangerous. Phases aren't meant to last, especially the harmful ones. Fortunately, jumping on plastic pong tables and shot-gunning a questionable beer concoction won't put you at risk for lung cancer. Although they may not be as harmful, they're still phases that will cease to exist. As for now, it's time to do our generation a favor and do yourself a favor by officially dropping the Juul.

If you or someone you know is addicted to the Juul or another form of e-cigarette, visit the American Lung Association for tips on how to quit.