Debated in Parliament on 22 Nov 2023.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health in light of the increasing trend of vaping amongst youths and students, what are the plans to tackle online advertisement and the ease of purchasing vaping devices on social media and online messaging platforms, such as Telegram.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider allocating more resources and manpower to the Health Sciences Authority within the next five years for enforcement against offences relating to the purchase, use or possession of vaporisers or electronic cigarettes.
The Ministry of Health will be prepared to resource the Health Sciences Authority to step up enforcement against vaping, including detection and removal of online advertisements and sales of e-vaporisers.
However, this will not be enough. We need to also work with partner agencies, such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, National Environment Agency and Ministry of Education, to strengthen enforcement against possession and use of e-vaporisers and intensify education and awareness initiatives.
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