As Malaysia has moved closer and closer to banning all vaping products, residents have expressed concern over the real-life consequences of total prohibition.
Some individuals who use nicotine-containing vapes have said they would simply switch to other, potentially more harmful, nicotine products, such as cigarettes.
"I might switch to cigarettes, even though I don't like the smell and how obvious it is," a 28-year-old vape user said, according to the Young Post Club. "If someone is already dependent on nicotine, removing one option doesn't remove the dependence."
Other users of nicotine vapes agreed.
One 25-year-old said that he began using vapes years ago as a way to stop smoking cigarettes.
If the government were to ban vape products outright, "I'll start smoking cigarettes [again]," he said, per the Young Post Club.
In recent years, countries around the world have cracked down on vapes in various forms. Single-use vapes in particular have been a popular target because of their environmental impact and potential to start fires in the waste-disposal system.
However, some users and advocates have argued that banning vapes could actually make vaping more dangerous. That is because unregulated, underground vapes can contain unknown, potentially dangerous substances.
"In countries that allow e-cigarettes as tobacco harm reduction, liquids go through stringent safety checks at government-certified labs," said Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a public health policy expert, according to the Young Post Club. "Without that, illicit vape liquids, including those tainted with drugs, can end up in the hands of adolescents, and that's dangerous."
To be clear, even vaping government-regulated nicotine-containing vapes is not without health risks.
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Still, nicotine vape products could be a better alternative for some individuals who use tobacco products.
"E-cigarettes may have the potential to benefit adults who smoke and are not pregnant if used as a complete substitute for all smoked tobacco products," the CDC says.
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