The Consumers Association of Penang is calling for a total ban as teen vaping surges. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin (New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. Saturday, 30 May 2026 7:34 PM MYT GEORGE TOWN, May 30 — Despite various health awareness campaigns conducted every year, the use of nicotine or tobacco products such as vapes, electronic cigarettes and conventional cigarettes among children and teenagers continues to raise concern.Devices regarded as alternatives to cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among young people through various appealing flavours and modern designs, raising concerns over whether the country is facing the threat of losing a generation of youths to nicotine addiction.Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) education officer N.V. Subbarow said the situation must be taken seriously as the country now faces the risk of producing a generation trapped in nicotine addiction at an increasingly young age due to the growing number of children and teenagers using vapes and electronic cigarettes.Having spent more than 40 years at the forefront of the country’s anti-smoking campaigns and delivered more than 300 talks at schools, colleges and universities nationwide, he said trends show that vape use among students is increasing.In conjunction with World No Tobacco Day 2026, which will be observed tomorrow, he said Malaysia must take bold action by banning all nicotine products, including cigarettes, vapes, electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, to protect the younger generation from increasingly alarming addiction.“In line with the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2026, ‘Unmasking the Appeal — Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction’, Malaysia must protect its youth from nicotine products because we need a future truly free from a nicotine-addicted generation,” he said in an exclusive interview held in conjunction with the observance.Subbarow said CAP has also urged the government not to delay action, noting that eight Asean member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam – still maintain bans on the sale and import of electronic smoking devices. CAP education officer N.V. Subbarow says fruit-flavoured vapes are hooking teens into becoming addicted to nicotine. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin Sharing his experience interacting with more than 30,000 smokers and vape users, he said many students he met viewed vaping as safe because it is promoted through fruit flavours and attractive packaging.“They believe they are consuming fruit flavours, but they do not know the actual contents in the flavouring or liquid. I have also collected 100 types of vape and e-cigarette devices and flavours handed over by school administrators,” he said.The 2025 Anti-Smoking Icon said information from the Royal Malaysia Police revealed that many seized vapes had been mixed with drugs, which could lead to serious addiction and fatal overdoses.Commenting on this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, Subbarow said it is timely as it focuses on industry strategies that use various approaches to attract young consumers.He said the theme aims to expose how tobacco companies use synthetic nicotine, nicotine salts and analogues to increase addiction while marketing them as innovative products.He said this year’s campaign primarily focuses on protecting youths aged between 13 and 15 from nicotine industry marketing influences while reducing the appeal of such products.“Global data show that around 40 million children aged 13 to 15 use tobacco products, while 15 million use electronic cigarettes, with some regions showing children are nine times more likely to vape than adults,” he said.Subbarow also said governments and health organisations worldwide are being urged to ban flavours, tighten restrictions on social media advertising and regulate product design.World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31 worldwide to raise awareness of the health dangers caused by tobacco use and promote smoke-free environments.In Malaysia, CAP’s anti-smoking campaign began 50 years ago under the leadership of former CAP president the late S.M. Mohamed Idris in collaboration with world anti-smoking expert Dr Mary Assunta. — Bernama