On September 9, according to foreign reports, Juul Labs, one of the largest e-cigarette manufacturers in the United States, must pay nearly $440 million to 33 states and Puerto Rico.

Juul is actively using marketing to target teenage audiences, a two-year survey found.

Using vaping products like Juul doesn't just have the potential to make kids addicted to nicotine. They are known to contain heavy metals and chemicals that may cause cancer.

Launched in 2015, Juul is known for its candy and fruit flavors that appeal to young people. These flavors have since been banned, and the next target is menthol.

Laura Fischer, a public health educator for the Marathon County Health Department, said: "It does have an element of mint, so it makes the product easier to use and more appealing to experiment with.

In addition to flavor, Juul has also been accused of using launch parties, giveaways and social media to target teens.

"With regard to teen use, there is no safe level of nicotine or chemical exposure to teens under the age of 25," Fischer said.

The 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that 40% of students in grades 8 to 12 use e-cigarettes regularly, and 25% use the product on a daily basis.

"The biggest risk is delayed brain development, especially the learning and memory centers of the brain that are most vulnerable to nicotine's effects," Fischer said.

Mike Raether, the principal of D.C. Everest High School, said his students' use of e-cigarettes is about the same as the national average.

“Kids can easily find these things through friends. In some cases, you can order them online, so it’s easy for kids to get them,” Raether said.

The school has a no-tolerance policy on the devices, but Raether says enforcing it is easier said than done.

"They're easy to hide. They don't have a great smell to them, so if kids use them at home, you don't necessarily know, and they're hard to identify for people who might not be able to see them all the time." Raether Say.

Research done at DC Everest High shows that teens are waking up to the dangers. Reiser said efforts by schools and communities to educate children and parents are key to eradicating the habit.

"Nearly 60 percent of children who currently use vaping products set a personal goal of quitting smoking products in the last year."