The problem with banning vaping

MY sister lives in Singapore and has two teenage kids. Vaping is banned there, but that hasn’t stopped her children from talking about classmates who manage to get their hands on vape devices.

Some buy them online, others through older friends. Despite strict laws in a country where even chewing gum is banned, people still find ways around laws.

That’s why I’m sceptical about the growing calls to ban vaping in Malaysia. Yes, the intention is to protect Malaysians from the health hazards associated with vaping. No one can dispute that public health is of utmost importance. But if experience is anything to go by, banning alone won’t solve the problem. It may even make things worse.

The reality is, vape is already everywhere. Walk near any school and chances are you’ll find shops or stalls that sell it, and some sellers don’t check age. Banning it outright might just push the trade underground. When that happens, it becomes harder to control. No quality checks, no age restrictions and no way to know what is being sold.

We’ve seen what happens with cigarettes. The government raised taxes, hoping to reduce smoking, but instead the market for illegal cigarettes exploded. Today, Malaysia has one of the highest rates of illicit cigarette trade in the world. The same thing could happen with vape. If we ban it without a proper plan, the black market will only grow.

If we are serious about protecting public health, we need a more complete approach. First, there should be proper enforcement. If a shop is selling vape to minors or without a licence, shut it down.

Second, start real public education campaigns. Many teenagers think vape is just harmless flavoured smoke. They don’t realise some of it contains nicotine and can lead to addiction.

Maybe the better path is to regulate vape, not ban it completely. Let only licensed shops sell it. Enforce strict age limits and product standards. And educate people so they can make informed choices instead of turning to options that may be worse for their health.

Banning vape might look like we are doing something, but if it’s not backed by proper planning, enforcement, and awareness, it may just create more problems. Let’s not repeat past mistakes.

SOO KIM SENG

Seri Kembangan, Selangor