KUALA LUMPUR: Vape products should have labels identifying them as poison, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health has recommended.
In the long term, it said a total ban on vape would be the most effective public health measure.
"The committee recommends that public awareness campaigns be intensified with clear messaging about the dangers of the toxic substances in vape products, along with strict labelling identifying them as poisons.
"A more aggressive communication strategy should be implemented through social media, influencer engagement and prohibition signage in strategic locations, especially to educate teenagers," it said.
This comes as the committee tabled a report entitled Health Committee Report on the Use of Vape Among Malaysians in the Dewan Rakyat, after it held engagement sessions with the Health and Education Ministries as well as experts on the increasingly worrying issue of the use of electronic cigarettes including vape.
"The committee emphasised that vape use has developed into a serious public health crisis. These products not only contain high concentrations of nicotine but have also been found to contain toxic metals such as lead, chromium and nickel, which pose significant health risks to users," it said on Wednesday (Aug 27).
It said current trends show that vape use is becoming increasingly widespread, involving more than 1.4 million adults and hundreds of thousands of school students.
"Meanwhile, the healthcare costs resulting from vape-related illnesses are expected to reach hundreds of millions of ringgit annually by 2030," it said.
Although the Education Ministry has implemented various school-level prohibitions and the Health Ministry has enforced the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, new challenges continue to arise due to aggressive industry promotions, social media influence, online sales and the evolution of open system devices that are easily manipulated.
It said this indicated that the existing enforcement efforts must be strengthened with a more integrated and comprehensive approach.
"Additionally, systematic scientific and clinical data collection is crucial as the basis for national-level banning actions.
"The government is also urged to consider limitations and stricter forms of vape device usage, including only allowing disposable vapes as an interim measure.
"The gazettement of clearer new laws is also necessary to close regulatory loopholes that currently allow vape sales to continue without strict control," it said.
