GEORGE TOWN: The recent case where a two-year-old girl in Bera, Pahang, was hospitalised for suspected nicotine poisoning is a good example for the Health Ministry to take immediate action to save children from becoming vapeaholic.
CAP education officer N.V. Subbarow said the incident raised warning signs to the government to act hastily to save tens of thousand of children.
"We urge the Health Ministry to take immediate steps to ban chemical vape liquids, which are sold openly in many shops and road side stalls without any control.
"The ministry should not waste any time to save the young generation from damaging their lives on poisonous nicotine liquids, which are sold to them as fruits flavours," he said, adding that thousands of children, between six and 12, have became vapeaholics.
These children, Subbarow said, believed that this nicotine-based liquids were produced by fruits as they smell like fruits, chocolates or even sweet flavours.
"During CAP's anti-vape and e- cigarettes awareness programmes, many young children told us that vape liquids are made of fruits.
"The tobacco industry is misleading young children by selling them poisonous nicotine.
"The ministry must immediately ban vape and e-cigarettes. The longer the ministry waits, there will be more vape-addicted children," he added.
Subbarow said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were 16,000 fruits-flavoured nicotine liquids sold in the market.
It was reported that a child in Bera is facing life-threatening situation following a suspected nicotine poisoning incident on May 30.
The girl's grandfather had found her near a disposable electronic cigarette (vape) device on the day of the incident.
She had experienced symptoms of coughing, vomiting and breathing difficulty.
CAP has consistently been calling for stern action against adults who gave nicotine-based juices to children.
A recent finding by CAP revealed that children were lured into vaping by their fathers and elder brothers.
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