Experts cite UK experience to call for total vape ban in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: The British experience with the fallout of vaping has made it imperative that a total ban on vape is imposed in Malaysia, according to health experts.

They pointed out that the United Kingdom’s experience has shown that partial bans might not be enough to protect young people.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Amar Singh believes Malaysia should take note before the problem becomes entrenched locally.

“We need a nationwide ban on vape products if we are serious about protecting our youth,” he told FMT.

His warning comes as Malaysian authorities uncovered increasing numbers of vape devices laced with synthetic cannabinoids, etomidate and other psychoactive substances, not unlike the British “zombie vapes” epidemic.

Britain banned disposable vapes last year in a bid to curb youth vaping, but refillable devices remain legal, raising concerns that products contaminated with illegal substances could still reach children and young people.

Researchers analysing vape devices confiscated from 114 secondary schools across England found that 13% contained the synthetic drug Spice, with the figure rising to nearly one in four in London and Lancashire.

Authorities have also reported a growing number of children seeking treatment for vape addiction, with a 12-year-old recently put into an induced coma with a collapsed lung from drug laced vape in London.

Health minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad recently said the growing number of drug-laced vape seizures had strengthened the case for tougher action as enforcement agencies grapple with illicit substances entering products readily accessible to young users.

Amar said many teenagers continue to see vaping as fashionable and relatively harmless, unaware that some products now contain substances capable of causing addiction and adverse effects within days or weeks.

“These include fits, loss of consciousness, panic attacks with feelings of terror, hallucinations, and psychosis. At times, just a one-time use of a ‘zombie vape’ can result in a life-threatening coma,” he said.

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022, about 14.9% of Malaysians aged 13 to 17 used vape products, representing more than 300,000 adolescents. Some estimates place the figure closer to half a million now.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ahmad Rostam Zin said newer psychoactive substances were significantly more potent than nicotine and could rapidly lead to a deterioration of brain function.

“Dependence and tolerance can begin after just a few puffs because many of these newer psychoactive substances are highly potent. In young people, whose brains are still developing, the effects can be particularly severe and long-lasting,” he told FMT.

He said repeated exposure could lead to neurological complications, psychosis, mood disturbances and cognitive impairment, with prolonged use potentially causing permanent neurocognitive damage.

While others have proposed stricter licensing, enhanced product testing and tighter enforcement, health experts believe Malaysia should go further than Britain.

Amar said Britain’s experience demonstrated how illegal products could continue circulating despite tighter regulations and restrictions on disposable devices.

While Malaysia still has an opportunity to prevent a similar crisis the question is whether public health concerns will outweigh the industry’s growing economic footprint.

According to the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce, the retail value of the vape industry was worth RM3.48 billion in 2023, up from RM2.27 billion in 2019. However, it is understood that a large portion of it is in the black market.

In August last year, the finance ministry said a total of RM288.45 million in taxes were collected from electronic smoking devices, liquids and gels, both with and without nicotine, from 2021 till July 2025.

Amar acknowledged the industry’s economic contribution but questioned whether those gains justified the long-term costs of addiction among young people.

“As more countries move toward prohibiting vaping products, Malaysia must decide whether it is prepared to accept the growing health and social costs of youth addiction,” he added.