Susceptibility to e-cigarette initiation among tobacco product naïve adolescents in Malaysia: Findings from the tobacco and e-cigarette survey among Malaysian adolescents (TECMa).

Introduction:
This text is a research paper on the susceptibility to e-cigarette (EC) initiation among tobacco product naïve adolescents in Malaysia. The study aims to determine the prevalence and determinants associated with EC susceptibility among school-going adolescents. The findings of this study are significant for optimizing preventive measures to protect adolescents from the health risks associated with EC use.

Key Points:

* The study utilized data from the Tobacco and EC Survey among Malaysians (TECMa) and recruited a total of 13162 school-going adolescents aged 10-19 years.
* The results showed that 15.7% of tobacco naïve adolescents were susceptible to EC initiation.
* Multivariable logistic regression revealed that male students, those from a rural locality, those not taught in school about the danger of tobacco use, and those exposed to tobacco advertisement were more susceptible to EC initiation.
* There was no significant association between secondhand smoke exposure and EC susceptibility.
* Comprehensive EC preventive strategies are critically needed together with the implementation of targeted, gender, and culturally impressionable interventions.
* Further studies are required to ensure the effectiveness of preventive and control efforts in preventing EC initiation among Malaysian adolescents.

Main Message:
The study's findings emphasize the need for comprehensive and targeted EC preventive strategies to protect adolescents from the health risks associated with EC use. The regulatory measures in Malaysia, such as the ban on nicotine e-liquids, are insufficient as non-nicotine ECs are widely accessible without age gating. Therefore, policymakers and stakeholders must implement targeted interventions, education, and regulation to reduce the susceptibility to EC initiation among Malaysian adolescents.

heng PP, Daud F, Yusoff MFM, Lim Kh. Susceptibility to e-cigarette initiation among tobacco product naïve adolescents in Malaysia: Findings from the tobacco and e-cigarette survey among Malaysian adolescents (TECMa). Tobacco induced diseases. 2021;19:89. doi:10.18332/tid/142900