PETALING JAYA, May 10 — E-cigarettes may be a passing fad, according to former and current users.
Undergraduate Naadeya Bilal, 21, who started vaping last July, said she had switched back to cigarettes as vaping did not have the same effect.”It was nice at first but after a few months, I began to have cravings for cigarettes again,” she said, adding that she went through an average of four packets a week.
She started vaping due to the influence of her friends in Butterworth.
“Only foreign-imported vape liquids such as those from the United States seem to be able to replicate the ‘kick’ or sensation, but even then, it is still not the same.
“Not to mention they are more expensive. When I last bought a US manufactured liquid bottle, it cost me RM90, compared to the local brands, which go for RM35 to RM50 per bottle,” said Nadeeya.
She said most of her friends who started vaping in 2012 were still doing so.
“But I think a lot of those who started in 2014 have since gone back to cigarettes,” she said.
Freelance photographer Nizam Abdullah, 26, who started vaping in 2013, said he occasionally bought cigarettes.
“I like vaping, but the nature of my job means I smoke a lot. I suppose it is due to stress,” he said.
Although e-cigarettes are convenient, with no lingering odour, Nizam said they lacked the sensation that cigarettes had.
“Late last year, I started smoking cigarettes again,” he said, adding that he would smoke 30 cigarettes daily before he started vaping.
A 34-year old accountant from Johor Baru, who only wanted to be known as Keong, said he first tried e-cigarettes in 2011.
“Most of my friends are dedicated vapers. I vape because it is cost-efficient,” he said.
Having picked up smoking at 14, Keong said he rarely smoked now except for social gatherings and when offered by others.
“I used to go through a pack every two days. The last time I bought cigarettes was in 2014,” he said.
Unlike his friends, Keong said he could still consume tobacco products.
“Vaping is not quite the same as cigarettes. That is why I go for liquids with a nicotine content of 12mg and above,” he said.
Despite the decree by the Sultan of Johor for all vape shops to close on January 1, Keong said it has not been difficult for him to source for vaping products.
“I was introduced to people who could produce liquids containing up to 20mg nicotine. But I normally stick to the 12mg ones which I can buy whenever I go outstation. It is more convenient and less expensive that way,” he said.
This was because Keong’s contacts require him to order in bulk, and not single bottles. This could cost him anything between RM200 to RM350 per order.
“I get bored after a short while with the same flavour,” he said.
