USM Poison Centre Warns Of Growing Misuse Of Vape For Drug Consumption

GEORGE TOWN, June 9 (Bernama) -- Vape devices are increasingly being misused to consume drugs and illicit substances, raising concerns over public health and safety, particularly among children and teenagers, according to Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), National Poison Centre (NPC).

NPC director Dr Nur Azzalia Kamaruzaman said the trend shows that vape products are no longer used solely as nicotine delivery devices but are also becoming a gateway to drug abuse among young people.

She said the rapid evolution of vape products over the past decade has made monitoring, enforcement and the treatment of poisoning cases more challenging, as the substances used continue to change.

“Vape devices are increasingly being misused for the consumption of drugs and prohibited substances. These include synthetic drugs such as synthetic cannabis, fentanyl and etomidate, which have extremely potent effects and are often difficult to treat using conventional clinical approaches.

“The rapid development of vape products has made them difficult to monitor and regulate. Laboratory capabilities to screen for and confirm the presence of illicit substances in vape products remain limited and involve high costs,” she said in a statement today. 

Nur Azzalia said efforts to detect misuse are becoming increasingly difficult as changes in the illicit market often outpace detection capabilities.

She warned that early exposure to nicotine can affect children and adolescents’ brain development, cognitive function, learning ability and behavioural development.

The situation is made more concerning by the rising prevalence of vape use among teenagers, which increased from 9.8 per cent in 2017 to 14.9 per cent in 2022, according to data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS).

“This trend indicates that more young people are being exposed to nicotine and face a higher risk of addiction and substance abuse at an earlier age,” she said.

Nur Azzalia said data on vape-related poisoning cases received by the PRN does not reflect the actual situation in Malaysia, as it is based solely on enquiries received for poisoning management advice rather than a national reporting database.

She said the figures may represent only a small fraction of actual incidents, describing the situation as a “ticking time bomb” that could result in a larger public health crisis.

In view of this, she said the PRN supports efforts by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and calls by the police (PDRM) to consider banning vape products to safeguard public health and safety, particularly among the younger generation.

-- BERNAMA