Expert calls for action on vapes disguised as stationery

Deceptive designs resembling school supplies complicate efforts to prevent underage vaping, warns public health specialist

PETALING JAYA: A public health specialist has urged authorities to tackle the issue of vape designs that are intentionally made to look like stationery, such as marker pens, UHU glue and 2B pencils, which could pose a danger to school students.

Typically, students purchase these stickers online and use them to cover their vape products, disguising their true nature.

Each of these “stationery” stickers are priced between RM13 and RM18.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia public health medicine specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said such designs would increase the likelihood of more students bringing vapes to school.

“This is highly unethical since the vapes are now disguised with stickers of stationery items, allowing students to conceal them and secretly bring them to school, adding another layer of deception, and making it harder for parents and teachers to detect them.

“The use of stickers to disguise vapes presents a new and concerning tactic aimed at helping students to use vapes in schools,” she said.

Sharifa Ezat added that these vendors operate illegally, preying on young people by making vapes more accessible and attractive to them, further complicating efforts to regulate and control underage vaping.

“The products typically come from the illicit market and are also sold online, lacking proper labelling – including nicotine content and strength – as well as toxicology reports or safety profiles.

“With minimal regulation on these platforms, it becomes easier for underage buyers to purchase them without proper age verification. The anonymity of online transactions also allows vendors to evade detection and reach out to vulnerable groups such as school students.”

Sharifa Ezat said legal local vape manufacturers do not produce these deceptive products, but some vendors may exploit the situation by acting as middlemen, importing and marketing them to young people.

She said such irresponsible behaviour is not only unethical but also illegal and these vendors should face strict enforcement measures, including imprisonment.

“To effectively combat this issue, it ties into the government’s budget priorities and their focus on strengthening enforcement activities, including increasing manpower, providing specialised training for enforcement officers and ensuring sufficient budget allocation to support these efforts.

“This shortage limits their ability to thoroughly monitor and regulate the growing vape market, especially with the rise of illicit products targeting youths. Strengthening regulations would allow for more consistent enforcement and better protection of public health, particularly in shielding vulnerable groups such as students from harmful and unregulated products.”

Sharifa Ezat stressed the importance of conducting spot checks at schools to help identify and prevent students from secretly using vapes, especially those disguised as everyday items.

She said the deceptive tactic of disguising vapes as everyday items takes advantage of school environments, where traditional monitoring methods are typically focused towards detecting more obvious vaping devices.

“Teachers and school staff may overlook these disguised vapes, allowing students to secretly use them without raising suspicion and making it harder to enforce existing regulations effectively within school setting,” she said.

She also emphasised the need for collaboration among schools, parents, societies and NGOs to raise awareness about the harmful effects of underage vaping, particularly when it involves unregulated and illicit products.

“Sustained medical education programmes targeting young people, which would highlight the health risks associated with vaping, would strongly discourage them from starting in the first place.

“Educating youths about the long-term effects of using unsafe vape products is critical to curbing the rise of underage vaping.”

Sharifa Ezat said since the products bypass safety regulations, they may contain hazardous materials, including harmful chemicals, synthetic drugs or contaminants that pose serious health risks to users, especially among school students.

“Without proper oversight, these vapes can easily flood the market, exposing youths to severe health issues, such as respiratory problems, addiction, and potential drug dependence.”