Kuala Lampur, June 13 -- Recently, the police disclosed how "Piu Piu", a dangerous synthetic drug, was reportedly being mixed into vape liquids. The discovery has led Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay to call for an immediate ban of vaping devices.

At first glance, this may sound reasonable as nobody wants dangerous drugs circulating in our communities, especially among young people. But the call to ban vape devices from the police begs a more important question: are we targeting the cause of the problem, or merely its most visible symptom?

Malaysia is notorious for knee-jerk reactions, where we address the symptoms but hardly tackle the root causes. The calls to ban vape following the discovery of fenta...