SIBU: The Sarawak Cabinet has agreed to implement a gradual ban on vape products to curb rising use among youths and the wider community.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the decision followed alarming state statistics on vaping.
“In Sarawak, we cannot ignore the escalating trend of vape use, especially among adolescents,” she said on Saturday (Nov 15).
She said the phased ban reflects a firm commitment to protecting the health and future of young people.
Fatimah added that police records show nine cases since 2023 with 15 arrests for vape liquid containing prohibited substances and said that a total of 209.55 millilitres of liquid was seized.
She added the Sarawak State Education Department reported 1,075 students involved in vaping, which underscores growing concerns across schools.
“According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey, Sarawak recorded the highest adolescent vape rate in 2022,” she said.
She said this involved an estimated 39,608 users aged 13 to 17, up from 23,733 in 2017.
Fatimah said the state remains steadfast in combating drug and substance abuse and added that Sarawak approved the One Stop Committee in 2018 to coordinate interventions across agencies and communities.
She said the Sarawak One Stop Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse operates at state, district and grassroots levels and added Sarawak’s approach is grounded in the belief that recovery is a continuous process.
“Our treatment and rehabilitation initiatives are designed as a continuum of care,” she said.
Fatimah added this spans prevention through to reintegration so no individual or family walks alone and said efforts are being intensified this year through integrated OSC collaboration.
She said this includes Mapping Recovery Communities to streamline online management of recovery capital as well as expanding community based treatment and recovery with One Stop Centres for Addiction Services in 25 clinics.
Fatimah said these are led by the Sarawak State Health Department.
She said capacity-building and certification will develop recovery coaches and evidence based intervention skills among NGOs and OSC members and added
preventive family programmes include the launch of Sarawak Family United.
Fatimah said these initiatives reflect a long term commitment to building resilient, drug free communities across Sarawak.
