“If You Think Vaping Is Cool, Think Again!” writes Public Health Malaysia on their Facebook post made on 5th of April where they shared a post made by an ICU patient coughing up blood from suspected heavy vape usage.
The Facebook page shared an original post made by an American citizen, Dustin Fitzgerald in October 2022 as a warning to vape users.
In the original post, Dustin writes, “if you think it’s cool or you think vaping is safe, well here ya go”.
“Coughed blood for a total of 6 bags like this. ICU for 5 days on oxygen.. around 3 pints of blood.”
His stay at the ICU was believed to be the consequences of vaping. Dustin’s Facebook post made on 8th October of last year has since garnered over 940k shares with 193k comments.
These Facebook posts resurface at a crucial time where smoking has become a widely discussed topic following the Malaysian parliament’s recent controversial decision to exclude liquid and gel nicotine products from the 1952 Poisons Act.
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Moreover, studies by Ministry of Health (MOH) have recently shown that around 43,300 Malaysian school students are smoking cigarettes after conducting screenings on 3.3 million primary and secondary school students through the Oral Health Tobacco-free (KOTAK) programme last year.
Netizens took to the Facebook comments section of Public Health Malaysia to share their stories and opinions regarding the issue
One Facebook user shared a story of how their friend just got discharged from the hospital due to vaping. The doctor allegedly said that if the patient continued vaping for another 2 to 3 months, he surely would have gotten cancer.
Meanwhile another Facebook user commented saying that “the vaping issue should be put to rest as the country’s economy is more important”, probably referring to newly passed laws to tax vapes instead of banning them.
PMX says a ban is impossible
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that “simply banning vapes and cigarettes is a drastic measure which cannot be implemented by any country in the world”.
“As far as the government is concerned, at the moment, it is difficult for us to ban, but we can increase public awareness so that the people will choose (not to smoke)”, he said during Minister’s Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat on the 4th of April.
With the removal of nicotine liquids and gel used for vapes from the Act, the substance is now legal and can be taxed at the rate of RM0.40 per millilitre since 1st of April 2023.
We’re curious to know what your thoughts are about the recent vaping discussions? Let us know in the comments.
Also Read: MOH: Over 43,300 Secondary & Primary School Students in Malaysia Smoke Cigarettes
