SIBU, Nov 15 — Sarawak will implement a gradual ban on vape products as part of urgent measures to curb the alarming rise in vaping, especially among adolescents, said Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
Fatimah said the decision, endorsed by the Sarawak Cabinet, follows mounting evidence that vape use has escalated into a serious public health and social issue.
“On vaping in Sarawak, the Sarawak Cabinet has agreed to implement a gradual ban on vape products in order to curb the further spread of this issue,” she said during the closing ceremony of the Drug-Free Community 2025 Programme at University Technology Sarawak (UTS) today.
Since 2023, the Sarawak Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) recorded nine cases involving 15 arrests for possession of electronic cigarette or vape liquids containing prohibited substances, with a total of 209.55 millilitres seized.
The concern is even greater among youth. According to the Sarawak State Education Department (JPN), 1,075 students have been found involved with electronic cigarettes or vape.
Meanwhile, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) showed Sarawak recorded the highest adolescent vape usage in Malaysia, with an estimated 39,608 users aged 13–17 in 2022, a sharp increase from 23,733 in 2017.
Fatimah said this upward trend reinforces the need for stronger intervention, including intensified treatment and recovery programmes.
“Treatment and recovery programmes must continue to be intensified and evidence-based so that individuals struggling with addiction receive appropriate and effective interventions,” she said.
Although the focus is currently on vape usage among youths, Fatimah emphasised that it forms part of the broader fight against drug and substance abuse in Sarawak.
“Social challenges such as drug and substance abuse are a shared responsibility. Our collective commitment and ‘Care for Sarawak’ spirit must transcend sectors, political lines, and communities for the sake of sustainable wellbeing and a resilient Sarawak,” she said. — The Borneo Post
