As the World Health Organisation calls for a ban on flavoured nicotine and tobacco products, the Addiction Medicine Association Malaysia also urges policymakers in Malaysia to regulate vape products so that they are tightly controlled and no longer available in the free market.
The rise of vape poisoning cases has been on the rise since 2020, recording a 68% increase in 2024, according to NST. The age for teenage vaping has been decreasing over the years, with 30% of them being aged 12 to 15 years, as reported by FMT.
The youth-friendly flavours - such as blueberry lemonade, caramel popcorn, and strawberry banana - the portrayal of vapes as an accessory, attractive packaging, and the need for social acceptance make it appealing to young people.
Advertising vapes as a healthier alternative to smoking causes young people to ignore the risks of vaping, since it was made as an aid to curb smoking. However, vaping comes with its health risks. Cleveland Clinic states that e-cigarettes can cause health problems like asthma, organ damage, and EVALI - widespread damage to the lungs with symptoms like coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath, caused by vaping.
Furthermore, the sharing of vapes is natural among youths, passing them around for their friends to try. This can lead to cross-contamination and the spread of oral diseases, such as infections, EVALI, and even meningitis, as Deccan Herald describes.
The government has yet to take steps to ban vaping, the potential reason being that there would be huge opposition from businesses and entrepreneurs, as the vape market has an estimated retail value of 3.5 billion in 2023, according to The Star. Moreover, it is argued that a ban would push the products to be sold illicitly.
As our neighbours, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei, have already banned vaping and e-cigarettes years ago, Malaysia needs to take action to follow up so that new generations of youths do not risk addiction and detrimental health conditions.
Rayna Leong (leongrayna@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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