Out to curb sale of vape products to students

A worrying trend: Secondary school students posing as vapers during school time. A task force has been set up to control the situation in schools.

PUTRAJAYA: The task force set up to tackle vaping and e-cigarette issues will focus on efforts to check the sale of such products to students, says Dr Lee Boon Chye.

The Deputy Health Minister said there were still many online promotions on vape products and e-cigarettes, targeting students, although various efforts had been made to shut down such websites.

“The trend of selling vape products and e-cigarettes to students is worrying. So we are using this task force to study how to control the use of such products, especially those who are under 18,” he told reporters after presenting excellent service awards to 81 staff of the National Cancer Institute yesterday.

On Thursday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced the setting up of the task force, headed by Dr Lee, to find ways to control the use of e-cigarettes or vaping.

The deputy minister said the task force would start work soon to draw up laws to control vaping and e-cigarettes, with the Bills expected to be tabled by the end of this year or early next year.

In a separate matter, Dr Lee said studies conducted by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, between April 1 and 17, at 173 eateries in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya showed that most people observed the smoking ban at gazetted places.