KUCHING: The Sarawak government has expressed its full support for banning the sale and use of vape in the state following concerns over the increasing misuse of the device, especially among the younger generation.

Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that vape, which was once considered an alternative to cigarettes, has now become a worrying addictive tool when mixed with illicit substances such as synthetic drugs and hallucinogens.

“In the past, vape was only seen as a tool for smoking, but now it is widely abused, not only containing tobacco, but also mixed with stimulant drugs and so on,” he said in a press conference after chairing the Anti-Drug Action Council (MTMD) Meeting here on Wednesday.

He added that the meeting had unanimously agreed to ban the use of vape in Sarawak.

However, he said, comprehensive implementation required action at the Federal level.

“We can issue fatwas, but that is only from a religious point of view. To make it a legal offence, Parliament needs to pass a specific bill,” he explained.

He also stressed that stricter laws need to be created if vaping continues to be abused with a mixture of prohibited substances such as ‘mushrooms’ and synthetic drugs.

The situation has raised serious concerns for the state government, which is also supporting the efforts of the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) in strengthening drug prevention education programmes, including through collaboration with the Sarawak United National Youth Organisation.

In a related development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim also proposed the establishment of a new pathology laboratory in Miri for the northern zone of Sarawak to speed up the process of detecting cases related to drug abuse since the existing laboratory is only in Kuching. - UKASnews