In an attempt to help 14-year-old Tim (pseudonym) quit smoking, his father gave him an electronic cigarette. However, it led to another form of addiction. Tim would use the e-cigarette at home, school, and even during class.
Sometimes I feel like I need a break, but I can't leave the classroom, so I take a puff and blow the smoke into my bag or my shirt because it dissipates quickly and doesn't have a smell," he admitted to Talking Point, a current affairs program on Mediacorp.
Tim is not the only teenager addicted to electronic cigarettes.
In 2021, over 4,600 people in Singapore have been arrested for purchasing, using, or possessing e-cigarettes. This number is over three times higher than the previous year.
What exactly is an electronic cigarette? Essentially, it is a type of vape device that is filled with various flavored liquids, often enticingly named after things like pumpkin spice or mango tango - it's no wonder children can be tempted by them.
In Singapore, electronic cigarettes are prohibited and one cannot purchase, possess, or use them. However, teenagers are still using them.
In a special segment comprised of two parts, host Munah Bagharib delves into the world of e-cigarettes. She investigates how our youth are obtaining such a forbidden item and what happens when someone starts vaping at such a young age.
She encountered Tim and other teenagers who use electronic cigarettes, and discovered how readily available the devices are.
Kylie," who started vaping at the age of 16, explained that buying electronic cigarettes is easier than purchasing traditional ones because she is underage.
Karen Lim, a student health advisor for the Health Promotion Committee, assists children in quitting smoking. She has stated that approximately 50% of her cases now involve students who use electronic cigarettes.
Despite authorities eliminating and shutting down social media lists that sell e-cigarettes in Singapore, Talking Point has managed to find numerous other ones, including thriving Telegram chat rooms that even sell e-cigarettes containing THC juice.
THC is the primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana. So what exactly are our children inhaling? In collaboration with the Singapore Health Sciences Authority, Talking Point confiscated some e-cigarettes and sent them to a laboratory for testing, with shocking results.
Among the chemicals discovered, formaldehyde is a carcinogen used in the preservation process. They also found that the level of nicotine in one electronic cigarette was higher than that of one traditional cigarette.
Dr. Aneez DB Ahmed, a senior consultant surgeon in the thoracic department of Elizabeth Nova hospital, has reported that he is seeing cases of lung inflammation in teenage smokers.
The earlier you start, the higher the risk you have of developing cancer and lung damage," he added. "If you turn yourself into an e-cigarette user in the closet, you may consume more nicotine. It will definitely affect young people. It affects brain development in the younger age group.
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