KUALA LUMPUR: A Form Two student collapsing on a school rooftop after inhaling a drug-laced vape is just one of many disturbing incidents fuelling renewed calls for the government to impose a total ban on electronic cigarettes.
The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) said the growing exploitation of youth, rising public health risks and emerging links to illicit drugs and organised crime require urgent and decisive government action.
Its secretary-general Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said while an immediate ban may not be feasible due to stock and distribution challenges, the government must begin with a strict prohibition on advertising and promotions.
He said the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, which is already in effect, provides a strong legal foundation to enforce restrictions on advertisements, promotions and online sales of vape products, including those containing controlled substances or illicit drugs.
He noted that when vape advertisements are openly displayed, it gives the public the impression that these products are permissible.
"In physical stores, we understand there may be delays in removing vape displays due to cost and logistical issues. But for electronic boards, shopfronts or highway billboards, all it takes is a directive to take them down and yet, they continue to run," he said at a press conference titled 'Drugs in Vape', held in conjunction with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025 and World No Tobacco Day, at the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) headquarters here on Thursday (June 26).
Also present was Hashim Anang, Pemadam media and promotion bureau chairman as well as a member of the National Anti-Drug Council, a non-governmental coalition.
Despite growing awareness of vape-related harm, Muhammad Sha'ani said many students continue to smuggle the devices into schools, often hiding them under motorcycle seats along with mobile phones.
He cited the case of a Form Two student in Perlis who reportedly became intoxicated after using a so-called "mushroom vape", resulting in a dangerous incident that required police intervention.
He added that allowing vape industry players to negotiate regulations would only benefit corporate interests while putting public health, particularly that of the younger generation, at continued risk.
Even more alarming, he said, were recent findings by the police showing that some seized vape liquids contained not only nicotine but also illicit drugs.
"Malaysia has already committed to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2003, which outlines the eventual phasing out of the tobacco industry. We have declared 2040 as the tobacco endgame.
"The same commitment must apply to vape. This is not an ordinary business, it is a growing threat to public health," he stressed. – Bernama
