ONE in 10 Malaysian teenagers is a smoker, with Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak recording the highest numbers due to the availability of contraband cigarettes, a Health Ministry official said.

Labuan, a federal territory off the coast of Sabah, recorded the highest number of teen smokers at 19.3%, followed by Sabah (18.9%) and Sarawak (17.7%).

“This could be due to the easy availability of contraband cigarettes in Labuan, and also in Sabah and Sarawak,” the ministry’s Institute for Public Health (IKU) director Dr Tahir Aris said, commenting on findings in the 2018 Adolescent Health Survey.

Putrajaya had the lowest record of teen smokers at 7.8%.

The survey looked at trends of 13- to 17-year-olds from 2003 to 2017 and involved 27,497 secondary schoolchildren.

For every four boys, one is a smoker, while 5% of girls in secondary schools smoked.

Overall, while the number of adult smokers was dropping, the habit is on the rise among children, said the survey.

“Looking at the trend, the number of smokers among adults is dropping. But among children, it is on the rise,” Tahir said.

His views echo the survey report, which stressed the importance of monitoring tobacco use among teens.

Health Ministry figures put the number of adult smokers in Malaysia at 4.7 million in total. More than 40% of Malaysian men are also smokers.

The ministry has also reported in the past that more than 10,000 Malaysians die from smoking-related illnesses each year, with tobacco use accounting for 35% of in-hospital deaths, the main causes being cancer, heart disease and stroke.

The survey also found that Form 4 pupils were the largest group of teen smokers at 15.3%, followed by Form 3 (14.3%), Form 5 (14.1%), Form 1 (12.8%) and Form 2 (12.6%).

Tahir said the survey found that teens were influenced to smoke by those who were close to them. Of those who have picked up the habit, 42.2% said they had parents or guardians who smoked.

Taking into account other products like shisha and vape or e-cigarettes, Malaysia has the highest rate of teen smokers at 13.8% with a slight lead over some of its regional neighbours, such as Thailand (10.4%), the Philippines (11%) and Indonesia (12.5%).

The survey, released as part of the government’s National Health and Morbidity Survey, also looked at alcohol consumption among teens.

One in five has tried alcohol while one in 10 is still drinking regularly.

Of those who have tried alcohol, 76% had their first taste before the age of 14.

The high percentage was not an issue as it involved consumption together with family members during festive celebrations, Tahir said.

But, he added, it would be worrying if teens continued consuming alcohol on a regular basis as it could become a habit that could lead to addiction and health problems.

Pupils obtained alcohol in different ways, with 38% saying they were given drinks by their families, bought from stores (27%) and got it from their friends (17%). – August 22, 2018.