LETTERS: The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Education Ministry to introduce a syllabus on the dangers of vaping.
This will save thousands of children's lives. It's a big concern as the number of smokers and vapers among students is rising.
The Health Ministry said 43,000 secondary school students and 341 primary school pupils were smokers, which are disappointing statistics.
In Malaysia, there are an estimated five million smokers and 1.5 million vapers.
New statistics show that 43,019 secondary school students and 341 primary school pupils are smokers.
The CAP has received complaints from parents and teachers that their teenage children were buying vaping products that contained nicotine because the government has removed nicotine from the Poisons Act from April 1.
Kids can walk into vape shops and buy products that contain poison.
There is no logic in removing nicotine from the list of poisons.
The CAP survey also showed that the number of smokers and vapers at secondary and primary schools and university levels is alarming.
The number is increasing because cigarettes and vape liquids are easily available. There is a shop selling these products in every corner of the country.
During CAP's anti-smoking and danger-of-vape talks, many students said they didn't know about the dangers of nicotine.
CAP feels that there is a need for a new syllabus on the dangers of tobacco and vape liquids, which contain nicotine.
Many primary school pupils might assume that liquids for vape products are just fruity flavours, but they are actually chemical nicotine flavours.
The World Health Organisation said there were 16,000 chemical flavours that contain nicotine sold to kids and adults.
In this case, the victims are schoolchildren. Surely now is the time to save them?
N.V. SUBBAROW
Education officer and anti-smoking activist,
Consumers Association of Penang
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times