KUALA LUMPUR: Concerned about the serious health consequences caused by vaping, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is calling for its ban.

Its president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the association supports the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s proposal to completely ban the use of electronic cigarettes or vapes.

“We fully support his call to completely ban e-cigarettes or vape products in the country.

“We urge the government to consider this proposal from His Royal Highness.

“We are equally concerned because vaping can lead to serious health problems such as breathing problems, serious lung diseases and even other organ damage,” he said in an MMA statement on Thursday (November 21).

Dr. Kalwinder said that vaping, directly and indirectly, can lead to drug addiction and other harmful substances.

“Vaping is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately before it causes irreversible damage to health.

“The increasing use of vape by youth in the country is of particular concern and needs to be nipped in the bud,” he said.

Dr. Kalwinder said that as of 2020, as many as 2,807 people have been hospitalized with Evali (e-cigarette or vaping product-associated lung injury) reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, while in Malaysia, a total 41 cases of Evali have been reported between 2019 and September 30 this year (2024).

“It was reported a few days ago (Nov 14) that the Malaysian government has to pay out more than RM150,000 to treat an individual suffering from Evali.

“The Ministry of Health has said that the cost of treatment (for Evali) was projected to rise to RM369 million annually by 2030 if no control measures were taken against the use of electronic cigarettes or vapes,” he said.

On Monday (November 18), media reported that the Sultan of Pahang proposed to completely ban the use of electronic cigarettes or vapes.

Sultan Abdullah was reported to have proposed the recommendation following his concern over the increasing drug abuse in Pahang, especially among youths, based on statistics from the National Anti-Drug Agency.

According to the Sultan, one of the main reasons why young people fall into drug addiction, both directly and indirectly, starts with the use of vape.

Sultan Abdullah also said that vape devices are harmful to health and called on the government to impose a total ban on vaping.