PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Health Ministry to take immediate steps to control the sale of vape liquids, especially the flavoured variety.
The consumer group said, in a statement Tuesday (June 6), that flavoured vape liquids could potentially lead children, aged from 6 to 12 years old, to become addicted to vaping.
The statement in full can be read below:
Save the children who are addicted to fruit-flavoured chemical vape liquids
---------------------
The Consumers Association of Penang has urged the Health Ministry to take immediate steps to check on chemical vape liquids that are sold in many shops and roadside stalls without any control.
There are thousands of kids from 6 to 12 years old who could become vapeholics.
These kids believe that these nicotine-based liquids are produced from fruits and other harmless substances because it smells like fruits, chocolates and other sweet flavours.
During CAPs anti-vape and e-cigarettes awareness programmes, these young children admitted thinking that vape liquids are made of fruits.
The tobacco industry is misleading young kids by selling poisonous nicotine.
The two-year-old girl who is believed to have suffered acute nicotine poisoning in Bera, Pahang, on May 30 is a good example for Health Ministry to take immediate action.
This incident has already given the warning siren to the government.
According to the WHO, there are about 16,000 fruit-flavoured nicotine liquids sold in the market.
CAP is urging the MOH not to waste time to save the young generation from damaging their lives on poisonous nicotine liquids which are sold to them as fruit flavours.
The MOH must immediately ban vapes and e-cigarettes.
The more it waits, the more vape-addicted children down the road.
NV SUBBAROW
Education Officer,
Consumers Association of Penang