Cambodia Takes Action Against Youth E-Cigarette Use
According to a report by Khmer Times on March 28, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports in Cambodia is seeking help from teachers and principals to educate students about the serious dangers of using e-cigarettes. Deputy Minister of Education Soeur Socheata spoke at a seminar yesterday regarding the use and circulation of e-cigarettes among youth, revealing a new guideline that classifies e-cigarettes as a type of drug that can lead to addiction.
This guide points out that e-cigarettes pose a threat to health and are prohibited by law, with importation, distribution, and sales needing to cease. Sosetta calls on the Ministry of Education to take strict action against the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes, especially online distribution, and impose a firm ban on their importation.
She pointed out that the Cambodian Ministry of Education has conducted a survey on 1317 young people in three provinces and Phnom Penh, including 579 girls and 738 boys. She said the survey showed that 95% of respondents have seen e-cigarettes and are aware of their negative health effects, while 79% knew that e-cigarettes are prohibited by law. She added that 75% of those who stopped using e-cigarettes were students. The survey also found that most of their friends purchase e-cigarettes through online websites on social media, which are easily accessible.
The deputy director of the legal department of the Ministry of Interior, Ly Sokha, suggested that legal action should be taken against the circulation of e-cigarettes on social media websites such as Facebook and Telegram by government agencies including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Information, as these websites are the main sources for selling e-cigarettes to young people.
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