The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called on the government to ban the sale of vapes nationwide. The MMA pointed out that the usage rate of vapes among teenagers has been continuously rising, with nearly 20,000 cases of on-campus use reported among students alone.
Key points:
- The president of the Medical Association of Malaysia has warned that vapes are harmful to health. In the past five years, there have been 41 cases of lung injury in Malaysia, and the treatment cost for a single person has reached as high as 150,000 ringgit.
- The use of vapes among teenagers has soared, with nearly 20,000 students using vapes at school across the country. The effectiveness of age limit supervision has been questioned.
- Data from 2023 shows that the usage rate of vapes among people aged 15 to 25 has risen to 8.6%, with a growth rate of 600%.
- The MMA expressed its support for the successive implementation of sales bans in Perak, Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu, and called on the whole country to follow suit.
Malaysian Medical Association: surge in vape use among students
According to a report by FMT Media on May 17th. The Medical Association of Malaysia (MMA) has called on the government to ban the sale of vapes nationwide.
Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, the president of MMA, pointed out that the harm of vapes to health and the high medical costs are well documented. The Ministry of Health once reported 41 cases of vape-related lung injury (EVALI) between 2019 and 2024, with each patient’s treatment cost reaching 150,000 ringgit.
Data from 2023 shows that the usage rate of vapes
According to the 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey. The number of vape users has increased by 600% over the past 12 years, with the usage rate among those aged 15 to 25 rising from 1.1% to 8.6%. Dr. Calwinder also mentioned the data for 2024, showing that there were nearly 20,000 cases of students using vapes at school across the country, which indicates that even with age restrictions, this trend cannot be effectively stopped.
The MMA expressed its support for the successive implementation
The association expressed appreciation for the four states that have imposed the ban on their own. Previously, Perlis (Perlis state) announced that it would ban the sale of vapes starting from August 1st, joining Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu. The ban in Terengganu will also come into effect on August 1st. Johor and Kelantan have implemented this ban as early as 2016 and 2015, respectively. Kedah has decided not to impose a total ban, but once the business licenses of vape traders expire, they will no longer be allowed to renew their licenses.
The official website shows that the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is the association with the largest number of doctors in Malaysia. It was established in 1959 and currently has more than 17,000 members. Claiming to be “a doctor who can represent Malaysia”, this institution is also the main representative body for all registered practicing physicians in Malaysia.
