LETTER | Revenue or counter-productive?

LETTER | The Finance Ministry announced a proposal for higher taxation for the electronic cigarettes industry or vape. 

The negative trend was brought in about 11 years ago and today it has become a huge industry worth RM2.27 billion according to resources. 

It is projected that the industry will further expand to reach RM10 billion worth in the next few years if the government supports it in one way or the other.

While the only pro with having such an industry is that it can become revenue for our country when high sin-tax is applied, the cons lead to a counterproductive situation, where all the revenue will go down the drain especially when we are talking about health care expenditures to treat the associated diseases.

Despite being said initially as an alternative to those who want to quit smoking, 97 percent of the vaping liquid sold contains nicotine, and they are unregulated. 

This means that vaping is similar to cigarette smoking where it is highly addictive and will increase cardiovascular risks leading to heart attack and stroke. 

A mere three percent of the vaping liquid is nicotine-free and is currently taxable at 40 cents per millilitre.

Legalising a destructive industry that actually thrives from the lack of enforcement and legal action from the authorities is not and can never be the way forward. 

All vaping shops should be penalised if found to be selling nicotine-containing liquid. And better still the enforcement of a once and for all ban on this destructive device.

The burden on government hospitals from the admissions of the aftermaths of smoking cigarettes is overwhelming. These are all at the expense of the taxpayers' money. 

While 15 pack years of cigarette smoking is considered significant, we have seen youths in their 20s, with the only risk factor being smoking 5-10 pack cigarette years coming in with extensive heart attack. 

More devastating than the heart attack is heart failure which the patient needs to live with when their heart reserve worsens as they get older. 

The government at the expense of the taxpayers will be obliged to buy expensive drugs to treat this condition and many others. 

We have yet to see the devastating effect of vaping taking its toll on our youth and how many "e-pack" years will be considered significant.

As part of the community and a member of a society which alongside many others opposed the legalisation of vape, I stand firmly on the grounds that there can never be any good whatsoever in legalising poison despite the high revenue it is projected to bring us. 

Proper enforcement from the authorities will help curb the expansion of such an industry due to addiction by our youths. 

The writer is a physician and I-Medik activist.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.