PETALING JAYA: “Energy sticks” sold online could contain ingredients similar to vape, cautioned health experts.
Amrahi also urged ecommerce platforms to promptly take down any advertisements of the products, calling on them to be responsible and self-police.“We expect the platform to be responsible. But I know this is the digital world where some stuff is hard to control so the authorities too need to look into using existing laws to curb the matter,” he added.
Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a health economics and public health specialist with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said it is irresponsible of sellers to mislead the public with unproven claims that energy sticks can cure sinus problems and fatigue as well as reduce drowsiness.“There are substances such as propylene glycol which are used in vape. There are other unknown substances which could cause issues and bacterial infection in the lungs and contamination from foreign substances.