LETTERS: The Finance Ministry recently announced a proposal for higher taxes for the electronic cigarettes industry.
The vaping trend emerged about 11 years ago, and today, the industry is allegedly worth RM2.27 billion.
It is projected that the industry will be worth RM10 billion in the next few years if the government supports it in one way or another.
The only benefit of having such an industry is that it can be a source of revenue for our country through high taxes, but this could be counterproductive if all that revenue goes down the drain with healthcare expenditures to treat vape- and smoking-related diseases.
Vaping was initially seen as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking, but about 97 per cent of vaping liquids contain nicotine and they are unregulated.
This means vaping is similar to cigarette smoking — it is highly addictive and will increase cardiovascular risks, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. A mere three per cent of vape liquids are nicotine-free and these vape liquids are taxed at 40 sen per millilitre.
Legalising a destructive industry that thrives on the lack of enforcement and legal action from the authorities is not and can never be the way forward.
All vape shops should be penalised if they are found selling vape liquids with nicotine. Better yet, ban vaping once and for all.
Take into account the burden on government hospitals due to the effects of cigarette smoking. This is treated with taxpayers' money.
Fifteen pack-years of cigarette smoking is considered significant. But there are youths in their 20s with only five to ten pack-years of smoking experiencing serious heart attacks.
More devastating than heart attacks is heart failure, which a patient needs to live with long term as their heart will only worsen as they get older.
The government, at the expense of taxpayers, will need to buy expensive drugs to treat these and other conditions caused by smoking.
Be aware that we have yet to see the devastating effects of vaping on our youth and we don't know how many "e-pack-years" is considered significant.
I stand firmly on the ground that there is no good whatsoever in legalising poison despite the high revenue it can bring.
Only proper enforcement by the authorities can curb the growth of the industry that is causing addiction in our youths.
Dr Fatimah Zaharah
Physician and I-Medik activist
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times