Ngos Urge Government To Ban Electronic Cigarettes

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A recent study has revealed that 300,000 students, aged between 10 and 19, are vape users in the country. (Facebook pic)KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, with 45 NGOs, today signed a memorandum to urge the government to ban electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vape in the interest of the health of society
Its president, Dr Lekhraj Rampai, said the widespread marketing and use of electronic cigarettes among school students was very worrying to the NGOs, which are linked to medicine, health, family, women, youth and children
He said many students were now trapped in nicotine addiction and duped by the erroneous health messages which claimed that electronic cigarettes are safe for use
‘’The suggestion to ban the product was first made in 2015 but the Cabinet decided not to impose a ban on the sale and use of vape
“I don’t know why they did so
“Subsequently, every day, newspapers have been reporting that primary school pupils are found to be smoking vape,’’ he told a media conference at the Malaysian Medical Association Building (MMA)
The National Fatwa Council, on Dec 21, 2015, declared the use of electronic cigarettes and vape as haram
A total of 33 cases of deaths, involving the use of vape, were reported in the United States, with the majority comprising youths
To date, 43 nations globally, including Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia, have taken steps to ban the sale and use of vape without compromise
As such, he said there was no excuse for Malaysia continuing to allow rampant destruction and harm from the use of these electronic cigarettes
Yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye, in an oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, revealed that 300,000 students, aged between 10 and 19, had been identified as vape users in the country
He said the data was obtained through ‘’A Research On Tobacco and E-Cigarettes among Adults in Malaysia’’, which was conducted on students in public and private schools recently. - FMT

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