Malaysia Urged to Act as Teen E-cigarette Use Rises

Key points:

1.Malaysia is facing a challenge of rising youth e-cigarette usage rates, prompting calls for the government to take urgent action.

2.Legal experts and medical professionals are urging the swift implementation of the 2024 Public Health Tobacco Control Act (Bill 852).

3.A survey has shown that there is an increasingly clear correlation between the use of e-cigarettes and the abuse of illegal drugs.

4.Some states have taken measures to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes, but nationwide enforcement laws are considered necessary.

According to Sinar Harian, as the use of e-cigarettes among Malaysian teenagers is significantly increasing, the government, especially the Malaysian Ministry of Health, is being urged to immediately fully enforce the Public Health Act on Smoking Control Products 2024 (Act 852).

The Malaysian Thoracic Society (MTS) and the Malaysian Lung Foundation (LFM) emphasized in a joint statement the urgent need to take action to curb the worsening health crisis caused by the use of harmful products. The statement pointed out that many e-cigarette devices are designed to resemble toys, markers, USB drives, and candy, with their bright colors disguising the dangers of nicotine addiction.

The statement also warns that this product strategy not only fails to reduce harm, but actually attracts young users to start using it. More concerning is that teachers and counselors have found that e-cigarette use is becoming a gateway for young people to be exposed to drugs. Data has shown that students who use flavored e-cigarettes are more likely to move on to using illicit substances, leading to an increase in positive cases of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other drugs detected in school drug tests.

A report has highlighted the need for the government to immediately ban the use of e-cigarettes nationwide to address the escalating health risks and abuse of prohibited substances among young people. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman of the Community Safety Alliance, stated that recent findings show a 32% increase in the seizure rate of e-liquid contaminated with drugs by the police, while data from the Ministry of Health revealed that 65.6% of e-liquids seized in the past two years contained dangerous substances.

Additionally, the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MTS) and the Malaysian Anti-Smoking Youth Movement (LFM) stated that legislation and comprehensive enforcement will curb the proliferation of e-cigarette products and can lead to strict measures against marketing targeted towards adolescents, including the prohibition of toy-like devices. They also praised the proactive measures taken by the states of Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes, but warned that without consistent federal enforcement, these efforts may not be sufficient to address the nationwide issue.