What Starts as "Just a Few Puffs" Can Quietly Become Something Much Harder to Walk Away From
For millions of young people, vaping started the same way it did for Caroline Huber — casually, socially, and with the comfortable assumption that it wasn't a real habit. Maybe it was at a party, maybe it was just something friends were doing, and maybe, at first, it really did feel harmless. But for Huber, cofounder and co-CEO of Jones, the moment she tried a vape for the first time changed everything. The head rush was intense, almost overwhelming — and within weeks, she had her own device. What followed was a dependence she hadn't seen coming and a struggle to quit that ultimately became the foundation for a business built around helping others do the same.
Her story is far from unique. Across the United States, vaping has quietly reached epidemic levels among Gen Z, a generation that grew up being told cigarettes were dangerous but received a very different message about e-cigarettes. That message — that vaping was a cleaner, safer alternative — turned out to be dangerously incomplete. And by the time many young people realized what was happening, quitting had become a real challenge.
The Myth That Vaping Was "Harmless"
When vaping first became mainstream, the cultural narrative around it was surprisingly forgiving. Unlike cigarettes, which carried decades of well-documented health warnings, e-cigarettes were often positioned as a modern, less harmful option. For someone who had only ever smoked casually at parties, this framing made the shift to vaping feel low-stakes. Huber has spoken openly about the fact that this narrative shaped her early thinking — and she is far from alone in that experience.
The problem is that vapes, particularly the pod-based devices that became popular in the late 2010s, deliver nicotine at concentrations far higher than traditional cigarettes. The smooth, almost flavored experience masked just how much nicotine users were actually consuming. Dependence developed faster, cravings became more intense, and the social ritual that started at parties quickly evolved into something people reached for constantly — during breaks, between classes, late at night, or first thing in the morning.
By the time many young vapers recognized the pattern, they were already hooked. Quitting, it turned out, wasn't as easy as simply deciding to stop.
When Two Friends Realize They Share the Same Struggle
Caroline Huber's path toward founding Jones began with a deeply personal realization — not just that she was dependent on nicotine, but that quitting felt almost impossibly difficult. She wasn't alone in that experience. Her best friend had gone through the same thing. Both had tried to quit vaping and found that the existing tools and support systems weren't designed with people like them in mind.
The nicotine replacement market had long been built around older smokers trying to quit cigarettes. The products, the messaging, and the approach all reflected that demographic. There was very little that spoke to a 20-something who had started vaping in college and now couldn't get through a stressful afternoon without reaching for their device. That gap in the market was also a gap in care — and it was one that Huber and her co-founder decided to fill.
Together, they launched Jones, a nicotine replacement company designed specifically with Gen Z in mind. The brand's approach centers on making quitting feel accessible, modern, and judgment-free — meeting young people where they actually are rather than where the health establishment imagines them to be.
Building a Business With Your Best Friend — And Making It Work
Going into business with a close friend carries real risks, and both Huber and her co-founder were aware of that from the start. The lines between work and friendship can blur quickly, and the pressures of building a startup can test even the strongest relationships. One of the things they have been intentional about is carving out time together that has nothing to do with Jones — time where they are just friends, not co-CEOs navigating product launches and investor calls.
That intentionality reflects a broader awareness that the health of the company depends in part on the health of the relationship that built it. Shared mission is powerful, but shared history — real friendship, genuine trust — is what sustains the collaboration through the difficult stretches that every startup inevitably faces.
Why Quitting Vaping Is So Hard — And What Actually Helps
Understanding why vaping is so difficult to quit is the first step toward finding real support. Several factors make nicotine dependence from vaping particularly stubborn:
- High nicotine concentration: Many popular vape devices deliver nicotine at levels that exceed traditional cigarettes, accelerating the development of physical dependence.
- Behavioral triggers: Vaping becomes woven into daily routines — stress, boredom, social situations — making the habit deeply psychological as well as physical.
- Accessibility: Unlike cigarettes, which require stepping outside or a visible ritual, vaping is discreet enough to happen almost anywhere, reinforcing constant use.
- Lack of targeted resources: Most cessation programs and nicotine replacement products were not designed with young vapers in mind, leaving a significant support gap.
Effective quitting strategies typically combine nicotine replacement therapy — gums, patches, lozenges, or newer formats — with behavioral support. Identifying personal triggers, building new routines around those triggers, and having some form of accountability (whether a friend, a community, or a structured program) all meaningfully improve the odds of success.
A Generation Rethinking Its Relationship With Nicotine
There are encouraging signs that Gen Z is beginning to push back against vaping culture. Awareness of the health risks has grown significantly since the early days of e-cigarette adoption. High-profile health scares, tightening regulations, and the lived experiences of people like Caroline Huber — who turned her struggle into a public mission — have all contributed to a shift in how young people think about nicotine.
Companies like Jones represent something meaningful in that shift: a recognition that quitting is a real, difficult process that deserves real, thoughtful support. It isn't about shame or judgment. It's about meeting people where they are and giving them tools that actually work for their lives.
The Takeaway: Your Habit Doesn't Define You, But Your Next Step Might
Caroline Huber's story is ultimately one of self-awareness, honesty, and action. She didn't know what she was getting into when she first tried a vape. Most people don't. But she recognized the problem, experienced how hard quitting could be, and instead of moving on alone, she built something designed to make that journey easier for an entire generation.
If you're struggling to quit vaping, know that the difficulty you're feeling is real, it's physiological, and it doesn't mean you're weak. It means nicotine is doing exactly what it was designed to do. The right support — whether through a nicotine replacement product, a cessation program, or simply talking to your doctor — can make the difference between another failed attempt and the one that finally sticks.