KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The Health Ministry (KKM) has discovered an increasing trend in vaping or using electronic cigarettes, including among women, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said this was the outcome of a comprehensive study being carried out by the ministry, which also provided prevalence data on vaping.
The data indicated an increase in the prevalence of vaping and also among women.
“For the 2017 data, the prevalence was 2.8 (per cent), and in 2022, the prevalence showed an increase of 6.2 per cent,” he said during the question-and-answer session.
Lukanisman was responding to Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali’s supplementary question, who wanted to know the government’s plans to improve the advocacy programme to curb smoking and vaping.
She also inquired as to whether the Health Ministry had conducted a comprehensive study on the triggers of smoking or vaping habits.
The deputy minister said the government plans to create a packaging plan to be enforced as a standard for selling cigarette and vaping products.
“(For example) the vape specification issued by the Health Ministry, like the form which the industry can sell, and campaigns to curb smoking and vaping activities will start with the cooperation from the Education Ministry to inculcate awareness from an early stage so children can reject the activity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has conducted 129 engagements with non-governmental organisations and local authorities to discuss policies or appropriate enforcement policies to curb smoking activities in open areas.
“That is one of the steps taken by the ministry… in addition, we will implement enforcement as often as possible by cooperating with local authorities to help curb the problem of smoking in open areas,” Lukanisman said.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman, who wanted to know the best mechanism for the public to report individuals smoking in prohibited areas.
— Bernama
