Southeast Asia is experiencing a remarkable surge in e-cigarette addiction among young people. Initially perceived as a way to help smokers quit, e-cigarettes have rapidly become a widespread cultural trend, with vape shops popping up everywhere, thriving online and offline communities, and even a black market for vape sales. Consequently, a health crisis is unfolding amidst this spike in e-cigarette addiction, which remains a challenging issue to address.
The Alarming Rise of Vaping
According to research from Emerald Insight, the global number of vape users reached an estimated 82 million in 2021, with 14.3 million coming from Southeast Asia. The worldwide e-cigarette and vape market was valued at US$22.8 billion (S$31 billion) in 2022. Data from various countries indicates an alarming rise in vaping, particularly among teenagers and young adults in their 20s around the world.
A survey conducted by consumer research firm Milieu Insight, titled “Cigarettes And Alternative Nicotine Delivery Products: Product Usage And Consumption Behaviour Study In Southeast Asia,” released on April 7, 2025, surveyed over 18,000 legal-age adults. The study analyzed their consumption patterns, flavor preferences, purchase methods, and reasons for starting to use these products.
The survey revealed a trend among young smokers in Southeast Asia of switching from traditional cigarettes to alternative nicotine products such as vapes and heated tobacco products (HTPs). Conducted across Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the study shows a decrease in cigarette smoking among those under 35. However, this same age group is increasingly using vaping and HTPs compared to older individuals.
Key factors driving this trend include the wide availability of appealing flavors, especially fruit and menthol, and the perception that these alternatives are more affordable.
Gerald Ang, Chief Operating Officer at Milieu Insight, stated, “E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being ‘cheaper’ is also an important reason for using alternative nicotine products,” he said, at a press briefing on April 7, as quoted on straitstimes.com (April 8, 2025).
How “Vape” Marketing Hooks Young People
An investigative documentary by Channel News Asia, featuring data from Vital Strategies’ Tobacco Enforcement Reporting Movement (TERM), further highlights the concerning marketing strategies used by electronic cigarette companies to attract future generations of nicotine users.
Released as part of the Undercover Asia series, "Smoke and Mirrors: Southeast Asia’s Vaping Crisis" illustrates how cross-border marketing drives the increasing e-cigarette use rates among young people in Southeast Asia. Despite growing data on the health risks associated with electronic cigarette use, regulations aimed at protecting youth from the harmful effects of nicotine in these products are lagging.
TERM’s 2022 Issue Brief, “Vape Tricks in Indonesia: How E-Cigarette Companies Use Social Media To Hook Youth,” as part of the data used for the Channel News Asia report documentary, documented the marketing tactics used for electronic cigarettes in Indonesia.
Instead of being presented as nicotine delivery devices, electronic cigarettes are marketed as trendy gadgets or fashionable lifestyle accessories. Flavors such as fruit, bubble gum, soda, or cheesecake directly appeal to younger demographics, as do the anime characters incorporated into some product designs.
"Smoke and Mirrors" reveals how "vaping culture" is heavily promoted and keeps young people addicted. Social media posts by influencers and models glamorize e-cigarette use and promote specific brands and flavors, distorting the perception of their actual dangers. Even the terms "vape" or "vaping" are industry marketing terms intended to create the impression that the aerosols produced are as harmless as water vapor.
The Dangers of Vaping: Case Evidence
According to The Straits Times, Dr. Sewa Duu Wen, Head of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Singapore General Hospital, told The Straits Times about the cases of patients who had been smoking e-cigarettes.
“We have reported (a case) where a patient developed respiratory failure due to abnormal build-up of protein and fatty material within the air sac (in the lungs) after having started vaping,” he said.
He stated that the patient underwent an uncommon treatment procedure, called whole lung lavage or lung washing, a specific procedure involving saline solution to "wash out" the lungs.
Dr. Sewa also mentioned the other cases, “There are also (other) anecdotal cases of patients who were admitted for exacerbation of asthma and lung conditions after starting on vaping,” he added, as quoted on straitstimes.com (April 15, 2024).
Experts are increasingly concerned about the dangers of vaping amid a global rise in the use of disposable vapes and e-cigarettes, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
Vaping Regulations in Southeast Asia
Strict regulations or outright bans are implemented by several countries in Southeast Asia regarding e-cigarettes, primarily due to concerns about youth usage and potential health risks. Viet Nam’s National Assembly voted decisively on November 30, 2024, to ban electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products starting in 2025.
Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Laos have already established strict bans on vaping products. Thailand is actively increasing its enforcement efforts, without hesitation in seizures of illegally imported e-cigarettes worth millions of dollars, aligning with the government’s aim to limit youth access and reduce smoking rates among younger generations.
The National Tobacco Products Control Committee in Thailand has launched a national initiative called "1 Province, 1 Hospital: helping Thais quit smoking and e-cigarettes comprehensively." This aims to improve the cessation programs of smoking and vaping. Thailand's Health Minister, Somsak Thepsuthin, is encouraging different government ministries to work together on this effort, particularly focusing on raising awareness and preventing smoking among young people. This initiative is part of Thailand's larger goal to establish smoke-free environments throughout the country. Their dedication to this goal was recognized when Saensuk Municipality received an ASEAN Smoke-free Award for creating smoke-free public spaces.
These policies demonstrate a strong precautionary approach but also raise questions about whether outright bans are the most effective way to decrease usage, or if they simply drive the black market.
Indonesia Takes a Different Route
Perhaps among any other countries in the region, Indonesia's approach to vaping is arguably the most lenient, allowing the industry to expand as long as taxes are paid.
Proposed regulations being considered in Indonesia are facing opposition from stakeholders. Legislator Nurhadi voiced worries that these regulations, which involve plain packaging rules and advertising restrictions, might cause a substantial drop in tax income, potentially around $10 billion. The possibility of lower sales also puts the jobs of tobacco-farming communities at risk, creating further discussion among government officials.
Indonesia has already become one of the highest percentages of smokers in the world, and is a major tobacco producer worldwide. It's estimated that almost 40% of the country's large population are smokers.
Advocacy groups argue that e-cigarettes assist heavy smokers in quitting traditional cigarettes. They also highlight a rapid vape industry that employs 200,000 people across the nation.
Yayi Suryo Prabandari, a long-time researcher into nicotine addiction at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where the nation nearly 30% of individuals over 15 are smokers, stated that “Vape and all its derivatives still contain nicotine and tar, not to mention other chemicals used in its production.”
“Laboratory tests have clearly shown that these compounds are harmful to our health,” he continued, as quoted on scmp.com (January 15, 2024).
Nevertheless, in a country where almost one in three adults smokes, public health concerns often take a back seat.
References:
- Vital Strategies. “Smoke and Mirrors” Amplifies TERM Data to Raise Alarm on Electronic Cigarette Use in Southeast Asia. vitalstrategies.org/smoke-and-mirrors-amplifies-term-data-to-raise-alarm-on-electronic-cigarette-use-in-southeast-asia/
- Channel News Asia (CNA). Undercover Asia - Smoke And Mirrors: Southeast Asia's Vaping Crisis. channelnewsasia.com/watch/undercover-asia/smoke-and-mirrors-southeast-asias-vaping-crisis-3375801
- The Straits Times. Vaping among youth in Singapore: The real damage it is doing to their bodies. straitstimes.com/singapore/vaping-among-youth-in-singapore-the-real-damage-it-is-doing-to-their-bodies
- The Straits Times. Young smokers in S-E Asia are giving up cigarettes for vapes and heated tobacco products. straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/young-smokers-in-se-asia-are-giving-up-cigarettes-for-vapes-and-heated-tobacco-products
- South China Morning Post (SCMP). Southeast Asia gets to grips with vaping as Gen Z piles in to puff: ‘I thought it was cool’. scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3248267/southeast-asia-gets-grips-vaping-gen-z-piles-puff-i-thought-it-was-cool
- ECigIntelligence. Keeping an eye on trends and regulatory shifts for vape products in Southeast Asia. ecigintelligence.com/keeping-an-eye-on-trends-and-regulatory-shifts-for-vape-products-in-southeast-asia
