Early exposure: SMK Convent Butterworth students and teachers, together with CAP officials and municipal council representatives, showing the cloth bags made from old t-shirts before distributing them to market-goers in Butterworth, Penang. — Filepic
CONSUMER education covers a wide range of aspects which include nutritional practices, advertising, the environment, and various types of services.
In the modern world, we are flooded with a myriad of services and products from various brands.
The development of modern technology often exposes us to advertisements and offers aimed at increasing sales.
Consumers, especially young people, are easily dragged into the world of advertising so that they are willing to spend their money on a product in the market regardless of whether or not they need it.
The eating habits of Malaysians are influenced by food advertisements, especially those of fast food.
This, coupled with the increasing rate of young smokers in our country, has increased the rate of chronic diseases in Malaysia.
Compared to other countries, the rate of consumer awareness is very low in our country.
Malaysians still do not know their rights as consumers.
The easiest way to promote consumer awareness is to incorporate consumer education into learning in schools. And this can begin by introducing consumer education to teachers who will then pass on their knowledge to students effectively.
A seminar on consumer education can be held to provide teachers with the latest information, as well as methods on how they can incorporate the information into their classroom teaching regardless of the subjects they teach in school.
For example, canned drinks contain very high sugar content and chemicals that can be harmful to health.
A science teacher can use this information to alert students to the health risks of consuming such drinks, while a math teacher can show students how much money is spent on drinks that do not provide any benefit.
A moral education teacher, on the other hand, can discuss the impact of soft drink advertisements that give the false impression that soft drinks increase happiness in life.
Consumer education allows students to critically analyse all aspects that exist in their daily lives and subsequently make wise choices. It gives students the opportunity to examine an issue in different angles and further develop their critical thinking.
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) currently conducts campaigns on sugar reduction, anti-smoking, processed food reduction, anti-alcohol, environmental education, and money management education.
Through the environmental campaign, students, with the help of teachers, are encouraged to plant herbs, and make fertilisers using kitchen and garden waste. They are also educated on the dangers of pesticides to the environment and humans.
This campaign is important to reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture and, in turn, create a chemical-free environment.
The campaigns on reducing sugar and processed food consumption can reduce the growing number of diabetics in Malaysia.
Similarly, anti-smoking campaigns are important to prevent new smokers and reduce the number of existing smokers.
Money management campaigns are important to reduce the rate of young people going bankrupt in the future.
Likewise, consumer education is important for the reasons stated earlier.
The CAP will continue to assist teachers in setting up consumer clubs in schools and provide guidance on activities that can be carried out.
It is hoped that these clubs will be an effective way of creating highly prudent consumers.
May we work together to create a highly literate and prudent consumer society.
N.V. SUBBAROW
Senior education officer
CAP
