KUALA LUMPUR: Three Universiti Malaya medical academics have blasted the Malaysian vape industry for pushing the false narrative that vaping is a “cool” and “healthier” alternative to traditional cigarettes.
In a joint paper, Dr Nur Amani Ahmad Tajuddin, Dr Siti Idayu Hasan and Dr Farizah Mohd Hairi said many have been convinced into believing they have found a safer vice because of this narrative.
“How many are aware that we are in a vape culture crisis involving teenage girls? Approximately one in four Malaysian teenage girls is a vaper.
“That is more than the number of smokers, drinkers and drug users combined. As women, we have the power to stop this harmful habit from damaging our girls,” they said.
Nur Amani is the deputy cordinator of the Nicotine Addiction Research and Collaborating Group (NARCC) and family medicine specialist at Universiti Malaya, Siti Idayu is a member of NARCC and the impact officer at the Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre, while Farizah is a member of NARCC and public health medicine specialist at Universiti Malaya.
The academics said as women, mothers and proud Malaysians, seeing the rise of smoking and vaping among young people, “especially our daughters, is deeply troubling”.
They pointed to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022, which revealed a significant increase in the prevalence of e-cigarettes and vape use among teenagers, accompanied by a decline in the rate of smoking.
They said more worrying is that among female teenagers, vaping is nearly four times more common than smoking cigarettes.
They said this shows Malaysian adolescents may be switching from cigarettes to vape, which they described as a serious “public health threat”.
“The beautifully designed vaping devices, myriad of flavours and modern marketing tactics have caught the attention of our teenagers, making it more acceptable among young females than traditional smoking.
“Such behaviour exposes them to addiction risks and potentially serves as a gateway to more dangerous substance abuses. If it is not controlled, the consumption of e-liquids could be laced with
illicit drugs.”
They warned the public not to be fooled by the “tobacco harm reduction” term promoted by vape industry players.
“There is no harm reduction in it when teenage girls start vaping for the first time and become lifelong nicotine addicts.
“Be aware that 99% of e-liquids sold are nicotine-based even when labelled as ‘nicotine-free’. The industry’s main aim when selling vapes is for the products to become (more widespread) and for users to become addicts.”
The academics said vaping is not free from risks, adding that recent studies have shown potential harms associated with e-cigarettes, including respiratory issues, addiction and exposure to unhealthy chemicals.
“Even when we think teenagers only mix around with vapers and do not vape (themselves), studies have shown that being around vapers could lead to teenagers becoming vapers.
“They could become addicted to the nicotine that is puffed out from the vapes of their peers.”
The academics also pointed to the economic implications of smoking and vaping, with medical expenses for related health complications burdening the country’s healthcare system.
They said while some may argue vaping is a personal choice and that women have the right to do whatever they wish with their bodies, “it is a false and misleading notion”.
“Vaping is not a choice, it is an addiction. It is not empowering, but enslaving. Vaping exposes women to nicotine, a highly addictive substance that affects brain development, mood and cognition.
“Nicotine also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, heart attack and stroke and reproductive disorders that could lead to infertility and many types of cancer.”
