KUALA LUMPUR: Over 12,000 students have been caught vaping in schools this year, says Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.
Wong said as of September 30, 12,252 students, or 0.24% of the 5.1 million total students, were found involved in vaping activities. In comparison, 2,365 students, or 0.05% of students nationwide, were caught smoking, according to ministry statistics.
These figures show a slight decrease compared to 2023, when 0.07% or 3,540 out of 5.06 million students, were caught smoking, and 0.26% or 13,427 students, were found vaping.
“While the ministry is doing everything possible to address this issue, we urge the public and parents to play their part in combating vaping and smoking.
“We advise parents and the public to raise awareness about the dangers of these activities and ask store owners not to sell vapes or cigarettes to underage children,” Wong said in Parliament yesterday.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Dr Richard Rapu @ Aman Anak Begri (GPS-Betong) about the current statistics on vaping and smoking among students in Malaysia and the measures schools are taking to curb the habit.
Concerns were raised after a report by The Star last month highlighted that vaping in schools remains an issue, with some vapes being disguised and sold as other products.
A teacher known only as Jane reported discovering a schoolgirl hiding a pen-shaped vape device in her underwear, along with numerous other incidents involving stationery-shaped vapes.
A separate Star report revealed that unscrupulous sellers continue to sell these products using deceptive keywords and designs that resemble ordinary stationery. These sellers were found listing their products as “batteries”, “candies”, “crayons”” and even “face masks”.
Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) raised the issue during a special parliamentary session on Monday, pointing out that vape products remained accessible on online shopping platforms as a result.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who attended the session, noted that the ministry has developed a Five-Year Advocacy Plan aimed at protecting non-smokers, especially children and adolescents, from starting smoking and helping them stay smoke-free.
On February 2, the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) came into effect, imposing strict regulations on the use, sale and display of smoking products in Malaysia.
The act designates various places, such as entertainment centres, hospitals, clinics, public toilets, and air-conditioned shops, as non-smoking zones. It also prohibits the sale of all vape and tobacco products within 40m of any school or university and bans their online sale and sale via vending machines.
