THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged all Malaysian states that have yet to ban the sale of vape and electronic cigarettes to act swiftly in protecting the health of young people, particularly school students
CAP senior education officer and anti-smoking activist N. V. Subbarow said parents and teachers were growing increasingly concerned about the delay in implementing a full ban, questioning when the remaining states would take decisive action.
“So far, Penang, Perak, the Federal Territories, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak have yet to enforce a total prohibition. We do not understand why there is such a delay,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
“This is a serious public health issue. The government is already spending millions of ringgit to treat diseases linked to unhealthy habits such as vaping,” he added.
Subbarow said a recent CAP campaign found that the use of vape and e-cigarettes remained widespread among school students in Penang and Perak.
He noted that while the problem was previously more common in vernacular schools, it had now spread to primary schools across all language streams.
Citing data from the Ministry of Health, he said the estimated cost of treating vaping-related diseases such as EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) stood at RM244.8 million, as revealed by Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
“Do we really want more public funds to be spent on treating diseases caused by vaping?” he asked.
Subbarow praised states such as Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang for taking proactive steps by refusing to issue or renew vape sales licences.
He urged other states to follow suit without delay and impose a total ban on the sale and use of vape products to safeguard the nation’s youth.
“The health of the next generation is far more important than individual wealth,” he stressed.- November 1, 2025
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