Rising Concerns: The Spread of E-Cigarette Among Malaysian Youth

According to a report by Oriental Daily on September 10th, a recent survey conducted by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) on 15,000 students in Penang, Perak, Kedah, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur revealed that up to 8,000 students are using e-cigarettes, with 4,000 of them being primary school students.

The education director of the Penang Consumer Association, Mr. Subaru, stated that around 1,000 children have not used their own money to purchase e-cigarettes, but instead obtained them from older family members such as grandparents, fathers, or older brothers. These children sneakily try using e-cigarettes when their family members are not around, and are able to provide detailed information about the flavors, stores where they are purchased, prices, and the feeling of using nicotine e-cigarettes. However, they are not aware of the dangers of nicotine or the ingredients in the flavors.

Subaru pointed out that the association conducted investigations in several states starting from 2021 and found that the spread of e-cigarettes among young people on campus is extremely serious. In colleges, the use of e-cigarettes has reached crisis levels, with the ratio of men to women using e-cigarettes being about six to four.

In addition, he emphasized that e-cigarettes are very easily accessible, sold in grocery stores and roadside stalls for as low as 5 to 10 ringgit ($1 to $2), lacking regulations that make it easy for teenagers to obtain e-cigarettes. He expressed concerns about the current situation, fearing that if products containing nicotine are not effectively regulated, it may lead to more teenagers becoming addicted to nicotine in the future.

He added that many countries such as Singapore and Thailand have already banned the use of e-cigarettes, while Malaysia has become a haven for e-cigarette users, with the number of e-cigarette shops rapidly increasing in places like George Town.