International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | August 2024 | Vol 11 | Issue 8 Page 2953 International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health Dar TH et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2024 Aug;11(8):2953-2958 http://www.ijcmph.com pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040 Original Research Article Current practices of vaping in Sibu Municipal Council area, Sarawak, Malaysia Hlaing Thaw Dar 1 *, Nay Lwin 2 , Thida Than 2 , Moe Thida Kyaw 3 INTRODUCTION E-cigarettes are electronic nicotine delivery systems with a lithium battery as a power source, heating element, and reservoir for e-liquid. Vaping devices have various street names, including e-cigs, e-hookahs, vape pens, mods, vapes, and tank systems. 1 Vaping devices, introduced in the US in 2007, have gained popularity among youth and young adults, but they may introduce dangerous chemicals and cause severe lung injuries. The global backlash against e-cigarette use is increasing, with E- cigarettes (EC) gaining popularity among adolescents and young adults due to their high nicotine content, appealing flavors, low costs, wide availability, and discreet designs. 2 International estimates show EC use increased from 2.3 million in 2013 to 5.1 million in 2015. In recent years, there has been a decline in cigarette smoking among adolescents and young adults in Germany, but at the same time, there is a rising prevalence of e-cigarette use. 3 ABSTRACT Background: The purpose of the study was to explore the attitude and practices towards vaping habits in the Sibu Municipal Council area, Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 403 participants in Sibu Municipal Council area which is under Sibu district in Sibu Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Results: The proportion of vape users (11.7%) was higher than the 2016 Malaysian National E-Cigarette Survey's 3.2%. Among vape users, 31.9% had less than 50 puffs daily, 40.4% had 50-100 puffs daily, and 27.7% had more than 100 puffs daily. Prefilled cartridges were the most used vape, followed by drip feed from bottle and tank feed, while 12.8% used other devices and 4.3% were uncertain about their vaping method. Responding with positive attitude towards vaping was 31.8%. Peer pressure to vape among vapers was experienced in 19.1%. Male respondents were more susceptible to vaping. Knowledge about vaping was less informed among 50.4% of participants. There was a significant association between the level of peer pressure and attitude towards smoking where the more peer pressured participants had a more positive attitude towards vaping. Attitudes are not significant difference among different education levels. Conclusions: The rise in male vapers, particularly among young people under peer pressure, is influenced by peer influence, and misconceptions about vaping effects. This study shows the complexity of vaping trends, transcending gender and ethnic boundaries. Further research is needed to understand the underlying factors and young individuals' choices to address this growing public health concern. Keywords: E-cigarette, Peer pressure, Vaping 1 School of Medicine, IMU University, Malaysia 2 Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, SEGi University, Malaysia 3 School of Medicine, IMU University, Malaysia Received: 08 May 2024 Revised: 15 June 2024 Accepted: 29 June 2024 *Correspondence: Dr. Hlaing Thaw Dar, E-mail: dr.hlaingthawdar@gmail.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20242152