Drug-laced vape products containing substances like fentanyl are raising concerns as more Malaysian students seek stronger and riskier highs.
GEORGE TOWN: Drug-laced vape products are becoming increasingly prevalent among students, with anti-smoking advocates warning that some youths are actively seeking stronger substances despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
Senior education officer and anti-smoking activist N. V. Subbarow from the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said the trend reflects concerns he has been raising for years about the growing accessibility of drug-infused vape products among young people.
“Fentanyl is worse than poison. I have been telling school students this for the past five years, but nobody seems to bother,” he said.
Subbarow said students he encountered during awareness programmes appeared increasingly interested in stronger vape products rather than conventional nicotine-based liquids.
“In my last talk with students on vaping, I found that many were more addicted to flavoured nicotine liquids,” he said.
He added that some youths were also seeking so-called “zombie” vape products, which they viewed as more potent.
Subbarow said he was particularly concerned by what he observed during a recent visit to a secondary school.
“Recently, I went to a secondary school. Students were proudly talking about it and acting like zombies.
“If the school gave students an essay topic on ‘zombie’, everyone would score full marks,” he said.
According to Subbarow, teachers and parents have reported behavioural changes among some young vape users, including increased aggression, rudeness and restlessness.
He said schools often face challenges when dealing with students caught vaping.
“Teachers can confiscate the devices and inform parents, but many are reluctant to take stronger action.
“The teachers are really scared of some of the boys because they can be arrogant and may threaten them,” he said.
Subbarow said schools regularly invite him to conduct awareness talks on vaping and drug-laced vape products.
He added that four students at one school voluntarily surrendered their vape devices after attending one of his sessions, while others had sought counselling and advice at CAP’s office.
He also questioned how drug-laced vape products continued reaching young people despite frequent enforcement operations.
“Police are seizing drug-laced vape products almost every day. But where are they coming from? Who is producing them locally?” he asked.
Subbarow urged parents to play a more active role in addressing the issue, saying many remain unaware of the extent of vape use among their children.
The concerns come amid a series of recent enforcement actions.
On May 19, police announced the arrest of six men, including a suspected supplier, following investigations into viral videos showing individuals in a dazed state after using vape products believed to contain drugs.
Federal Police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department Director Commissioner Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said police seized vape liquid suspected of containing ketamine and launched Ops Vape 1.0.
The operation led to the seizure of 19.67kg of vape liquid believed to contain Furanyl Fentanyl, with an estimated value of RM4.6 million.
Eight days later, on May 27, police investigated a case involving a 14-year-old girl in Melaka who allegedly injured herself after being prevented from meeting her 17-year-old boyfriend.
Authorities said the teenager was believed to have been under the influence of a substance referred to as a “mushroom vape”, which was allegedly introduced to her by the boyfriend.
Subbarow said the incidents underscore the need for stronger prevention efforts involving schools, families and enforcement agencies to curb the growing threat posed by drug-laced vaping products among youths.