SIBU: Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) fully supports the prohibition of electronic cigarettes — or vapes — in schools and other educational institutions.
Union president Ahmad Malie said KGBS did not wish to see students’ future to be destroyed by both vaping and smoking.
“In this regard, KGBS fully supports the prohibition of vaping. We do not take lightly the issue of smoking among schoolchildren,” he said in response to the call by Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) on the Education Ministry to expedite the issuance of circulars on guidelines of the prohibition against vaping in schools and educational institutions.
Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye was quoted as saying that the use of vapes in these institutions should be disallowed in view of the long-term adverse effects on students’ health.
Lee cited survey findings by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international medical journals, in stating that vaping was linked to nicotine addiction, and its long-term abuse and impact could lead to cancer.
Another research, Lee said, undertaken by Universiti Sains Malaysia’s National Poison Centre had also found that vape liquid that contained uncontrolled nicotine level could negatively affect users, especially students.
On this, Ahmad Malie commented: “Vapes could easily be mixed with substances related to drugs, which could affect our children.”
Morever, Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also called om the government, especially the Education Ministry, to conduct checks on vaping — seemingly a popular trend among the younger generation — before it reached critical level.
Abdul Karim said apart from the findings that supported the bad, long-term impact of vaping on health, the practice also did not help students and teachers much in terms of economy.
According to Bernama, the National Fatwa Council on Dec 21 last year decreed that vapes was ‘haram’ (prohibited) since it could cause more harm than good.
However, a recent news report stated that the Health Ministry had no plan to ban the sale of vapes and would only regulate them, despite the ‘haram’ decree by the fatwa council.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Hilmi Yahaya was quoted as having said the ministry’s decision was the same as that taken by the federal cabinet.
He further said the ministry would continue to oversee the sale of vapes under the Poisons Act 1952 and Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (Amendment) 2011.
However, Dr Hilmi added that it would depend on the special committee chaired by Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah to discuss on the decision of the National Fatwa Council.
Dr Hilmi also said the banning of permits for premises selling vapes in different states would depend on the local authorities.