PUTRAJAYA: There has been a 600 per cent surge in electronic cigarette use in the country in the past 12 years, a tobacco survey has found.
The 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) found that some 5.8 per cent of Malaysian adults are e-cigarette users, compared with only 0.8 per cent in 2011.
GATS is a nationally representative household survey conducted in more than 30 countries globally.
In Malaysia, GATS is undertaken by the Health Ministry, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.
The report also said there was an increase in the percentage of people who were dual users of both tobacco and e-cigarettes, at 3.9 per cent in last year, up from 0.8 per cent in 2011.
It said the prevalence of e-cigarette users among younger age groups was high, with the largest percentage being those aged between 15 and 24, standing at 8.6 per cent.
The prevalence of e-cigarette use for those between 25 and 44 was at 7.1 per cent.
Among the top three reasons for using e-cigarettes were availability of likeable flavours, being perceived as less harmful than smoking and being more enjoyable.