PETALING JAYA: Vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking. This is the clear message from Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who warned that vapers were damaging their lungs and the cell lining of their respiratory system, and should cease the habit immediately.
What is just as bad is the design and branding of vaping products that make their content appear safe to use, undermining the credibility and effectiveness of health warnings, he said.
Noor Hisham was speaking to theSun on the growing popularity of vaping, which the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce confirmed is worth RM2.27 billion annually.
The Health Ministry (MoH) 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey stated there were 1.12 million vapers in the country.
He said the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 has specific regulations on packaging and labelling of tobacco products, which include mandatory health warnings.
“This measure is important to decrease smoking initiation and increase smoking cessation. Under a proposed Act, new smoking products such as e-cigarettes will need to follow regulations on packaging and labelling.”
He said vaping involves breathing in aerosol from a container that holds several chemicals, including nicotine and flavouring, which can damage the cells lining the respiratory system.
“Not only that. Existing research has linked chemicals in e-cigarettes to lung and respiratory issues, changes in the brain and organ damage. And in July 2019, a large series of pulmonary illnesses were reported in Illinois and Wisconsin in the US that were linked to it (vaping),” he added.
Noor Hisham said these were patients with a history of e-cigarette use within 90 days of the onset of symptoms. They had pulmonary infiltrate on imaging with no other contributable cause of the illness. They were termed as E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (Evali).
Until Feb 18, 2020, there were a total of 2,807 cases of Evali in the US. They contributed to 68 deaths as reported to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Several cases of probable Evali had been highlighted among clinicians in Malaysia. However, the number of cases may be under-reported due to lack of awareness.
“Therefore, the Health Ministry developed evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management of Evali. This CPG will guide Malaysian healthcare providers on the best practices in the management of Evali.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Koh Kar Chai said it would be good to mandate plain packaging with warnings on the dangers of vaping.
“The packaging should have warnings clearly visible with the hope of deterring users.”
Koh said smoking is already hazardous to health, and vaping has been shown to be just as dangerous, if not more damaging.
“There is evidence that shows the chemicals from e-cigarettes and vaping can cause serious lung damage. In some cases, the effects are irreversible.”
Koh said constant awareness of the dangers of vaping is needed, adding that the Generational End Game promoted by the ministry would play a major role in preventing the habit among the younger generation.
On Friday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill will be taken to the Cabinet meeting this week for approval before being tabled in Parliament.
“If the Bill is approved, Malaysia will be the first country in the world to have a law banning smoking and possession of smoking products, including electronic cigarettes (vape), for those born after 2005,” he said.