PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the government to ban vaping in order to prevent children from picking up the habit easily. CAP discovered that many schoolchildren are vaping and that products such as eliquids and vapes are readily accessible to them on online platforms. CAP President Mohideen Abdul Kader emphasized the need for swift action, urging Parliament to pass the Generational End Game (GEG) Act due to the overwhelming scientific evidence of the serious health consequences of ecigarettes and vaping. He stated that a total ban on these products is necessary to protect the future of Malaysians, and that arguments in favor of individual vaping rights ignore the harm caused by these products. He further asserted that the government has a duty to limit personal liberties in the interest of healthcare.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has confirmed that the GEG Bill, which intends to regulate the sale, purchase, and consumption of cigarettes and smoking products among individuals born in 2007 and later, will proceed to a select committee for refinements after its first reading at the Dewan Rakyat. The Bill was initially introduced by former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin last year but faced resistance and was referred back to the select committee for review.
Mohideen warned that vaping will pose a significant problem in the future unless it is banned now. He highlighted the drop in cigarette smoking among adolescents according to the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022, which saw the national prevalence decrease from 13.8% in 2017 to 6.2% in 2022. However, there is a growing trend of teenagers transitioning to ecigarettes and vaping. The survey indicated an increase in Malaysian teens aged 13 to 17 using these products, rising from 9.8% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2022.
Mohideen pointed out that the substances in ecigarettes and vape devices, when heated, produce chemicals that can cause inflammation of the lungs’ lining and lead to ecigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). He expressed concern about the large number of eliquids available on the market, with thousands of variants from over 3,300 known retailers, making it impossible to monitor each bottle or brand.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
