COMMENT Selangor is the state with the most tertiary education providers, with students flocking in this direction to carve out a future for themselves.

Hence, the state government should join the other states in clamping down on the vape business. There is no reason to delay this any more.

This is especially after Johor and Kelantan have taken the lead to ban vape. Even Kuala Lumpur City Hall will be banning vape soon.

There are numerous health reports that suggest that vape is not that safe after all despite Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob claiming that Malaysia has one of the best vape products in the world.

In a raid by the police in Penang , a 24-year-old man was arrested after Penang cops (bravo!) seized 199 bottles of liquefied vape, believed to contain drugs during its ‘Ops Vapor’.

If left unchecked, this could be a legalised form of drug distribution centre and more drug pushers may turn to become vape traders.

Smoke-free campuses

Just yesterday, when I happened to visit a restaurant near The One Academy in Bandar Sunway, to my surprise, I noticed a vape shop just next to the college. Young people were seen testing out vape in the shop. This is probably the beginning of their journey on a lifetime of vape.

On the contrary, when I drove into Sunway University campus, I noticed a signboard that reads ‘Smoke-Free Campus.’ While it is true that some young people can be seen puffing away outside the campus, what Sunway University has done should be emulated.

I wonder whether other institutions have the same level of intolerance towards smoking and now vape. If not, I would prefer to send my children elsewhere. It speaks volume on what values the academics in these institutions are imparting to my children.

It is time that the Selangor state government and other states heeded the warning issued by the health minister to ban vape. This has nothing to do with politics, but the health of the ordinary people.

While there may be one or two politicians who are defending the industry, their heads should roll since they have decided to put their heads on the chopping board. We cannot tolerate a nation that is becoming addicted to vape or any form of addiction.

Can easily switch businesses

What Ismail Sabri said about entrepreneurs being badly hit if their vape business goes up in smoke simply makes no sense.

After all, as the minister put in charge of entrepreneurship, he should help these entrepreneurs find more healthy businesses to be involved in.

In the long run, the wellness business is far more lucrative as people are becoming more health-conscious.

For example, the minister should make efforts to convert these vape business outlets into ones producing the best fruit juice for the consumers. This will automatically create a demand for fruits that will eventually benefit the farmers.

If the minister thinks that my suggestion is stupid, he should come up with better ideas since this is the mandate given to his ministry. For goodness sake, unless he has a stake in the bulk of the business, the rural and regional development minister should not have anything to do with the vape business.

The minister, who allegedly urged a boycott of Chinese traders, should not hide his true motives for defending the vape business, which we know nothing about, and just for the sake of a small group of traders, affect the health of a whole generation of young Malaysians.

If he continues to defend the vape business, we should all boycott any function that he hosts or currently promotes so that he becomes the minister who boycotts others and ends up getting boycotted by the people himself.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.