Focus on anti-vape campaign

Health danger: The ministry is planning to ask parents and schools to help stop schoolchildren from vaping, especially in schools.

BANGI: The Education Ministry is set to intensify anti-vape campaigns in schools after reports of a primary schoolgirl who was found vaping went viral.

It was reported that a photo of the schoolgirl vaping at a bus stop was shared on social media, including allegations that vape was freely distributed to students by irresponsible people.

Education director-­general Datuk Dr Amin Senin said he requested the ministry’s daily school division to seek ways on intensifying campaigns to increase awareness among students against the habit.

“We also want to look into how we can take new developments in relation to vape into account.

“Lately, we noticed that vapes have become more canggih (sophisticated) and is sometimes hard to distinguish from other gadgets.

“Some can even pass off as pendrives.

“It is confusing because vaping is being viewed as a norm these days,” Amin said.

“At the school level, we want to have anti-vape campaigns with the help of parents and society on how to prevent students from bringing vape into schools,” he told reporters after launching an academic, research and innovation carnival at the Institute of Teacher Education Kampus Pendidikan Islam here yesterday.

He said the ministry would work closely with district education offices, state education departments and schools.