I refer to Mr Muhammad Dzul Azhan Sahban’s letter “Puzzling how people can still get hold of the devices” (Aug 30). He noted that many people openly use e-cigarettes in public, even on the MRT, showing little respect for the law.

I’ve encountered vape users in public spaces a few times; as an educator, I hesitated over whether to step in and warn them about the proven harmful effects of vaping on brain function. It seems as though some people have become so addicted to vaping that they are losing control over their use of such devices.

Similar to glue sniffing in the past, should the authorities start taking stiffer action against vape users? Should concerned citizens be given the power to report, with sufficient evidence, that a neighbour in their block is a regular vape user? Can parents apply to the authorities for assistance to help a vaping teen or young adult quit the habit?

Perhaps the local community should join hands to help before the promising futures of many young people are lost.

While I’m aware of existing public education efforts, like the posters on MRT station walls, the frequent reports of people openly vaping suggest that the measures aren’t enough. Isn’t it time for the authorities to intensify enforcement and impose stricter penalties on vape users to send a clear and unequivocal message about the harm the habit does?

Koh Seng Lin