Do You Know WHO Is Holding You Back?

Do You Know WHO Is Holding You Back?

Through the years, I have known people on a first-hand basis WHO had grandiose plans, ambitious goals, concrete objectives and roadmaps in life that made me no less than envious BUT appreciative.  BUT before you jump and sing all the hosannahs and hallelujahs, let me dampen your expectations because roughly, for every ten people I came to know, maybe one to two of them had their respective plans and goals come intro fruition.  So, you would ask me now, WHAT HAPPENED to the 80%? The answer is NOT that difficult to fathom.  Something else was HOLDING THEM BACK.  And of the 80% WHO were HELD BACK, 100% of them all were HELD BACK by their very own.  That answers the question: Do You Know WHO Is Holding You Back???

Culling from my past interactions with them, easily 30% of them were dependent [AS IN] on someone as the leader, the initiator and he/was contented to be the follower, simply replicating the steps made by the leader.  Sometimes, their dependency is NOT on a person BUT on a future factor that is very 'iffy', e.g. someone will pursue options to migrate to another country if that country's immigration laws become less stringent💧💧💧

Another day-to-day scenario I do bear witness is that CLOUD of FEAR that is enveloping him/herself.  BUT getting into that FEAR FACTOR could be a complex topic to dissect because there is a mile-long list of FEARS we commonly face in life.  And setting aside the most mundane FEARS, the FEAR that is legitimate to be tackled is that FEAR of FAILURE.  Until and unless you overcome that FEAR of FAILURE, you will NEVER inch forward even if you continue to dream about your plans💚💛💜

Another common culprit is NOT related to FEAR but that person seems to be toeing [hook, line and sinker] someone's definition of SUCCESS.  That means you will end up comparing your performance to someone else's timelines and even goals, WHICH in the end will likely end in an incorrect assessment.  BUT to be fair to each of us, FEAR of something bad happening in the future is one of the things that make us human.  Animals might fear an immediate danger, that is happening right now BUT only we FEAR something that might happen, that ISN'T happening now, that ISN'T even showing its ugly face at the moment.  This FEAR, some might say, is necessary as it stops us from doing something stupid.  BUT I've found most of these FEARS to be unnecessary, to be baseless, to be holding us back from achieving something.  Failure.  Abandonment.  Rejection.  Intimacy.  Success.  Being broke.  NOT being good enough.  FEARS can go on and on😔😔😔

Our takeaway:  Of all the multifarious common triggers of FEAR, NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH is actually at the root of all the others.  We FEAR we'll fail because we're NOT GOOD ENOUGH.  We FEAR we'll lose our relationships, that we'll be abandoned, that we'll be rejected.  Even that FEAR of SUCCESS is based on the worry that we're NOT GOOD ENOUGH.  Dude, do you know WHO [or WHAT] is HOLDING YOU BACK???

Breadcrumbing?

Breadcrumbing?

Breadcrumbing?  For alignment, let's do a lookup at Mr Google's definition which says BREADCRUMBING is that 'manipulative tactic where someone feigns interest in another person without any intention of committing to a relationship.  It's also commonly described as "HANSEL & GRETELLING" because it's very similar to the children's story WHERE BREADCRUMBS are left to mark a path.  Oh YES, before we get mixed up, psychologists claim that BREADCRUMBING can be intentional OR unintentional.  And it can happen in many types of relationships [and NOT limited to romantic ones].  Decades back, BREADCRUMBING WON'T deserve to be a talking point but today, it has turned it's ugly head, NO thanks to social media📘📙📗

If you're still one of those doubting Thomas's, questioning WHY we'll have BREADCRUMBING as our thread today, let me rattle off a sampling of a spate of social media stuff:

• Sending occasional messages on social media
• Flirtation without asking someone out
• Leaving comments on social media without responding to messages
• Sending memes OR gif's instead of engaging in meaningful or at least a casual conversation
• Inviting someone for coffee BUT not showing up

These BREADCRUMBING exceptions may seem to be petty BUT can we ignore some of its ramifications, like:

• WILLFULLY manipulating someone in utter bad faith
• NEEDLESSLY triggering a roller coaster of emotions
• UNNECESSARILY sowing confusion and uncertainty
• FEEDING anxiety OR dependency on a hapless person
• SOWING loneliness OR hopelessness that's worsening
• GUILTLESSLY creating turmoil amidst a prevailing peace
• UTTERLY causing pain, albeit minor, WHEN in truth, the receiving party does NOT deserve such bad faith at all
  

In a nutshell, BREADCRUMBING has got NOTHING to do with literal bread crumbs BUT everything to do with how people behave WHEN they are in a relationship OR dating someone [with an intent NOT for the long haul].  WHEN you've just started talking to someone and there's a potentially budding romance OR even a potential commercial partnership, things are NOT always black and white WHEN things are utterly fluid.  And by the waters become clearer, likely a lot might NOT yet be verbally communicated by then💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Much as falling in love with someone and then realizing that they DON'T feel the same way for you is absolutely heartbreaking BUT in an ideal scenario, both parties should move at the same pace and reciprocate.  Having said this, let's admit that the world does NOT always go according to the most ideal scenario.  That's WHY it is imperative to know and understand WHAT BREADCRUMBING is [before it's too late]😌😌😌

The Downside of Kindness

The Downside of Kindness

YES dude, this is a no-brainer.  Everyone of us grew up, with KINDNESS being taught and as we were on the receiving end during our childhood, in our adulthood it's kind of payback time NOT because we are obligated BUT it's just part of our human nature.  BUT WHEN did we realize that there is that Downside of Kindness?  YES dude, there are always two sides of a coin and KINDNESS can't be exempted from that equation📗📙📘

NOT to be cynical veering towards becoming negative, our kindness may make us vulnerable by getting easily hurt, OR worse, we can get disadvantaged in various ways like people may tend to bully use OR frankly, people may 'USE' you triggered by their ulterior motives.  In the end, you could end up with unrealistic expectations because normally, human nature dictates that as a bare minimum, we will at the very least acknowledge, if NOT reciprocate that KINDNESS we extended to someone else😌😌😌

NOW, let's be frank here.  Being KIND is a-ok BUT being TOO NICE may get you too far down the road.  KINDNESS is always in style BUT being a pushover can hurt you in many different ways.  True, it is always in our favor to be NICE and it is rarely advantageous to be passive.  To quote Quora user Courtney Bryant, 'A BLEND OF KINDNESS AND ASSERTIVENESS IS A MAGNIFICENT COCKTAIL.  Indeed!!!

BUT WHAT happens WHEN you get the recipe wrong, mixing in too much deference for others and NOT enough hard-headed pursuit of your own goals?  So, the challenge here is to equip us with that capability to know that you have 'crossed the line' WHICH qualifies you then to be tagged as a 'pushover' as well as warnings about the dangers of taking your [entirely admirable] urge to please others probably way too far❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Being KIND may lead 'some' to think that you are weak and that's WHEN one may take advantage of your KINDNESS.  This is generally the rap against being too quick to put your needs in favor of the needs of others and that is already a 'potential 'RED FLAG'.  BUT let's face, genuinely nice people AREN'T rare BUT especially in some corners of the business world, me thinks that they are hardly in the majority either.  This sad fact means that if you are truly NICE, you're liable to be occasionally misunderstood and even viewed with suspicion.  Suddenly, people will turn things around you and suspect that behind your KINDNESS is an ulterior motive.  Whoah, witf these DOWNSIDES OF KINDNESS!@#$%?

Blessings of Darkness

Blessings of Darkness

Anyone should be IN with us WHEN the sun is shining and dandy?  Absolutely, we'll ride and join your bandwagon when it's all about celebrations, enjoyment and fun.  BUT WHAT IF I enjoin you that we''ll go deep into the cavernous caves of Balochistan, WHICH, for decades, were the most secured turf of the late Osama Bin Laden?  OR WHAT if we are to simulate the typical hardships and challenges of the underprivileged?  Any show of hands?  I'll surmise I can still get a handful of hands BUT NOT a wave I guess.  No, I'm NOT nitpicking here because it's human nature that we loathe circumstances WHERE darkness lurks, WHERE darkness may lead us deeper in problems we fear to face head-on.  BUT did we realize the Blessings of Darkness???

Admittedly, reframing the challenges we face in life as BLESSINGs is a tough act to concretize.  BUT yes, we can find calm, maybe NOT in the face of a raging storm's eye BUT after the rage has subsided.  YES we can find good in a sea of uncertainty.  SO HOW?  HOW can we shift our focus?  At this point in my life, I draw inspiration from the confluence of events in the past WHEN I was juggling sometimes more than one storm at a given time.  I then always told myself to take a deep breath [or many] and allow some calm and joy in📗📙📘

YES, there were hard times from my past WHEN I had to turn away from the news for a moment and instead, tune into my life and I [literally] started to count the BLESSINGS all around me.  YES I had a key realization then and it's the fact that BLESSINGS are often hidden amidst hardships and challenges and maybe even as we speak now, others are navigating through circumstances we ourselves have never faced before.  People worry about their health, finances, that discomfort of the UNKNOWN.  And YES, many really DON'T have the 'safety nets' in life.  Many are separated from their loved ones.  If we look at the Middle East, the diasporas from South Asian countries [e.g. India, Pakistan, etc] are most evident💧💧💧

YES, I totally hear you that our concerns and fears are natural and we absolutely should feel HOW we feel.  BUT worry WON'T alter the future one way OR another.  Instead, it only takes away today's peace.  Like it OR not, we're being forced to slow down and to spend more time with our families.  And that is a precious gift and if we embrace it, we'll NOT only be happier and more fulfilled now BUT instead, we could also enrich ourselves for the future.  Might we change HOW we live our lives, as to WHAT and HOW do we prioritize?  In these unprecedented times, we have an unprecedented opportunity to make a shift, an awakening of sorts.  Much as we're witnessing this unprecedented global warming, our planet Earth seems to be 'healing' and we can draw a parallelism here because we humans are healing too.  WHERE we can pray so we can take much of it with us WHEN this passes so that we truly take a leap forward and DON'T just settle back into our old ways❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  There are still moments we can cherish in WHICH we can be present and in WHICH we can create something good, perhaps very good and everlasting enough.  We can and should try to shift our focus.   And hope is a powerful tool as the ability to gain perspective from those before us WHO weathered different unimaginable storms in life.  YES, the future remains uncertain only as to WHEN.  WHAT is certain is that an undisclosed amount of time, it will come.  Yes dude, there are BLESSINGS arising from DARKNESS💜💛💚

Not Every Problem Needs A Solution

Not Every Problem Needs A Solution

WHO DOESN'T have problems?  Everyone has and there will never be a time in the future that can guarantee to us all that we'll be problem-free.  BUT Not Every Problem Needs A Solution.  I myself, WHEN I see something wrong, my first impulse is typically to drill-down and diagnose the problem [and obviously, to solve it]📘📙📗

In my career, diving into the root cause of a problem has been like a second to none as an option.  And to reset expectations, diving down into a problem is NO patsy stuff BUT I'll admit it's damn satisfying once you get to resolve it.  Dealing with quick questions has been a good BUT NOT particularly lucrative 'side business' for me for much of my life.  BUT then again, Not Every Problem Needs A Solution💥💥💥

A news story, WHETHER a health update about a relative OR a disaster far away from our location, is NOT typically a problem and damn it, I CAN'T solve it [even if I want to].  Even the decision to 'SHARE' the story SHOULDN'T be taken lightly.  WHY?  Oh Oh Oh, we should know by now that the 'SHARE' button can even cause a strong emotional reaction [by the receiver].  Instead, my response to many emotionally charged messages has been "HOW CAN I HELP'???

After being part of the workforce just a year after my university graduation, I'll credit the environment I worked in for getting me to try a mindfulness practice.  I learned that mindfulness ISN'T about tuning out to the world.  I was expected to pay more attention to the world around me WHETHER or NOT my eyes were open.  I was often advised by my mentors then to observe things, notice them, identify them, and then LET THEM GO.  And that was a good plan to deal as early as that time😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  Even as I humbly admit that till to date I keep abreast and keep current [on a daily basis with events all over the globe], I try to detach without coming across as overly cold OR uncaring.  Sometimes, people sharing a problem are seeking help with it.  At other times, they want to vent, and I have to choose WHETHER I want to be a sounding board.  At other times, I accept that people want to be consoled, comforted.  'THAT SUCKS' is a perfectly fine thing to say although I do lament HOW often I've had to say it lately.  Yes dude, NOT EVERY PROBLEM NEEDS A SOLUTION, though❗❗❗

When We're DEAD IN THE WATER

When We're DEAD IN THE WATER

Of all possible threads, this is the thread I dread to cover because NO ONE as in NO ONE wants to talk about being DEAD IN THE WATER.  BUT reality tells us, that that happens, much as we dread it.  Unfortunately, some of us go through that most trying situations in life, those times WHEN you were telling yourself you gave it all, you've squeezed every sweat you can and there's just NOTHING else for you📗📙📘

Surely, almost everyone of us, at some point in our respective past, did hit the lowest of the lows, hitting rock bottom eventually.  BUT likely you were that successful enough to pull yourself up to WHERE you are right now.  Truth is, there is no single person on this planet WHO has never experienced failure OR frustration.  At some point in each of our own lives, hitting the brick wall happens as things fall apart😌😌😌

Hold on though.  Before we start exchanging notes, the fact is every person's lowest point is different.  Everyone's story of success and failure is unique.  Every single person also faces different demons.  It is only WHEN you have reached the bottom of the pit that you begin to realize that you have indeed hit rock bottom.  You then start to have a positive outlook and you begin your own journey to recovery.  YES, there are different reasons WHY a person may feel they've reach the bottom.  Some of these reasons could be a failure of relationships, loss of job, loss of home OR even drug addiction❎❎❎

True, many of our everyday lives seem monotonous [OR is it?] WHEN everyday we wake up, eat, work [or go to school], then sleep.  And we do this everyday.  That is WHY when we [ever] reach the bottom, we face challenges.  And these challenges end up shaking our own life, like the tectonic plates banging each other in a high-intensity earthquake.  BUT before we get hanged up with the fix how to eke ourselves out of that rock bottom, let us list common signs that you did hit rock bottom:

• You got fired from your job [OR your business went kaput]
• You lost your house [and NOW homeless]
• Your financial problems are insurmountable
• You crossed the line and are in trouble with the law
• You got kicked out of school or dropped out unexpectedly
• You got serious injury that may cause permanent disability
• Your marriage/relationship ended DEAD IN THE WATER

Our takeaway:  Life can get rough and tough BUT no one gets by life without being hit by the big waves of life.  Every single human being faces monstrous waves in life.  NO one is immune and shielded from it.  And WHEN you get hit, BOUNCE BACK?  HOW?  Rise up, breathe, and swim your way towards higher ground.  The same goes for life's problems.  WHEN WE'RE DEAD IN THE WATER, never back down.   Swim towards a better day even if it is very hard💥💥💥

[Repost From Dr Mercola] That #1 Cause Of Death [That's HIDING In Plain Sight]

 

As I was browsing my daily morning READS, stumbled across Dr Mercola's piece today WHICH stomped me with this screaming title "The No.1 CAUSE OF DEATH THAT'S HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT".  And he adds fuel to fire WHEN he states that it's NOT sugar, NOT cigarrettes, NOT stress.  And to make things murkier, he added that 'THIS SILENT KILLER IS DISGUISED AS SOMETHING HARMLESS, routine, even comforting BUT BENEATH THE SURFACE, IT'S TRIGGERING HEART FAILURE, BRAIN DECAY AND SLOW-MO METABOLIC COLLAPSE.   Guess WHAT???

Pasting EN TOTO Dr Mercola's article lifted straight from the below source:  https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/05/13/ultraprocessed-foods-cardiovascular-deaths.aspx?ui=f767ca6c08fc186c0fec10eaaea3de6008b8b217792ddaa122ecd526a0aea00f&sd=20250216&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1ReadMore&cid=20250513&foDate=false&mid=DM1741862&rid=291565721

At a glance, let's skim through these LOWLIGHTS:

Story at-a-glance

• Nearly 38% of cardiovascular deaths in Canada are linked to ultraprocessed foods. These products contribute to 96,000 new heart disease cases and 17,400 deaths each year
• Eating just one additional daily serving of ultraprocessed food raises your risk of obesity by 7%, abdominal fat by 5%, and Type 2 diabetes by 12%
• Ultraprocessed foods increase cognitive decline risk by 16% and stroke risk by 8%, with the strongest effects seen in Black participants
• Processed meat products like hot dogs and deli meats are linked to a 43% higher risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases and a 13% higher all-cause mortality risk
• Even small amounts of ultraprocessed food trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction that accelerate aging and drain your energy daily

Ultraprocessed foods dominate grocery store shelves today in the form of frozen dinners, packaged snacks, and fast-food items. While they offer convenience, they are engineered to hijack your appetite and flood your system with harmful compounds. These products, stripped of real nutrition and loaded with additives, trans fats, and artificial ingredients, are slowly clogging your arteries and setting you up for a heart attack or stroke

A recent analysis from the Department of Nutrition at the University of Montreal, commissioned by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, set out to measure how much of Canada's heart disease and stroke burden is driven by ultraprocessed foods. They used national health data to model the impact of these foods on adults over age 20.1

•The research identified high numbers of deaths and disability tied to processed food intake — The team linked food intake data from the Canadian Community Health Survey to new cases of cardiovascular disease, deaths from heart disease and stroke, and years of life lost or spent disabled.

•Ultraprocessed foods cause nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease annually — In 2019 alone, ultraprocessed foods contributed to 96,043 new cases of cardiovascular disease, 17,417 deaths, and nearly 389,000 years of life lost or spent living with chronic heart-related conditions.

•Over one-third of heart disease deaths came from eating ultraprocessed foods — The study, a first of its kind,2 was modeled using real national health data and validated risk models, not guesses or projections.

•Reducing ultraprocessed food consumption could save thousands of lives each year — According to the authors, if Canadians cut their intake of these foods by 50%, there would be 45,914 fewer new cardiovascular disease cases annually. It would also save 8,314 lives every single year.

•Men are hit hardest by ultraprocessed food-related heart problems — The highest levels of processed food consumption were seen in young men aged 20 to 24 and adults over 80. Unsurprisingly, the study found that 61% of new heart disease and stroke cases connected to these foods occurred in men. Additionally, men accounted for 52% of the related deaths.

•The damage builds up from youth and compounds with age — Poor eating habits create health problems later, with symptoms like high blood pressure, fatigue, and shortness of breath appearing when damage is already underway.

Ultraprocessed foods are engineered to make you overeat. These foods are packed with industrial ingredients like refined sugars, trans fats, and chemicals designed to override your fullness signals. The result? Overeating, weight gain, and chronic inflammation, which damage your artery walls and raise your blood clot risk.

Your brain also suffers WHEN YOU EAT ULTRAPROCESSED foods.  The featured study adds to the growing evidence associating ultraprocessed food with adverse health outcomes. Another recent study published in Neurology3 also points out how these products damage brain function and increase the likelihood of stroke.  The study found sharp increases in risk — More than 14,000 adults without cognitive impairment and over 20,000 adults without prior strokes were tracked for years. The researchers found that for every 10% increase in ultraprocessed food consumption, cognitive impairment risk jumped by 16%, and stroke risk rose by 8%.😡😡😡

When Life Is Best Lived

When Life Is Best Lived

WHO wants to be a child [again]?  With alacrity, I'll raise both my hands on one condition, that is, if our sole intent is to live a FULL LIFE.  BUT hold on, let's think about it.  HOW come almost children seem cheerful and happy, even those WHO have less in life?  That's exactly the point I want to drive at.  By default, children DON'T have hidden agenda.  They DON'T double-speak.  They DON'T plan to do things in bad faith.  In short, they have the purest of intentions.  It's kind of saying, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.  Not for us adults though.  We are tougher and toughest to fathom.  Even for someone giving bread to the under-privileged, you CAN'T be sure if that's in good faith.  So, WHEN IS LIFE BEST LIVED📗📙📘

Unfortunately, there is NO single right OR wrong way to LIVE A GOOD LIFE as long as it's true to you and conversely, you are true to it as well.  BUT by and large, to simplify a picture, generally, having LOVING relationships, having MEANINGFUL work, enjoying time for hobbies, and being HEALTHY, these are the key variables that will kind of lead us to that 'paved' road towards having a LIFE BEST LIVED💚💛💜

On top of those very basic variables in life, some people find happiness in helping others WHILE others find it in pursuing their own passions.  Some people find fulfillment in family and relationships WHILE others find it in their work.  Without all the gobbledygook, LIVING LIFE to the fullest means experiencing the full range of good and bad.  And that's WHAT gives our life that meaning and purpose.  And WHEN you look back on your life, you want to be able to say that you lived it to the fullest, NOT leaving a single stone unturned💥💥💥

Hey, HOW often we heard 'LIVE IN THE MOMENT'?  Could be a zillion times, right?  Thing is, LIVING IN THE MOMENT may be more difficult than it appears.  Humans spend the majority of their time dwelling on the past OR future because of our own conditioning.  Learning HOW to LIVE IN THE MOMENT can improve our general well-being and enjoyment in life.  We can practice mindfulness by looking around OR stopping to 'smell the flowers'.  By taking a moment to breathe in your current reality, you can fully immerse yourself in it and take notice of things that you may miss out😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  Looking back, I think I'm 'spot on' in pinning a key root cause as to WHY many of us DON'T LIVE IN THE MOMENT and that's multitasking.  Although it may appear to be a simple process, multitasking is really difficult to master. During the day, juggling many things and diverting your attention to numerous distractions simultaneously will, obviously, prevent you from being FULLY PRESENT.  So, WHEN IS LIFE BEST LIVED?  Do craft your answer please!!!

[Republishing From NST 05.12.2025] Another Country About To Ban VAPING!

 

NOT to unduly scare at unprecedented levels but in my daily browsing of Malaysia e-broadsheets, screaming on its headlines today is an Oxford Study dated March 2025 which concludes that VAPING MORE THAN DOUBLEs THE RISK OF SERIOUS LUNG CANCER [note it's tagged as SERIOUS] and WHAT did catch my attention to this research is that the research participants was NOT paltry in numbers because it covered more than 250,000 participants.  And the finding CAN'T be scarier WHEN it said that people WHO vaped [and that includes people with NO history of smoking] were 2.29 times as likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]

Pasting below EN TOTO the featured article datelined 05.12.2025 from Malaysian's New Straits Times:  
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/05/1214810/oxford-study-sparks-alarm-health-advocates-citizen-groups-call-total 

KUALA LUMPUR: Public health advocates and civil society groups have called on the government to consider clamping down or even implementing an outright ban on vapes in the country.

Their call comes in the wake of a recently released study published by Oxford University, which showed that vaping could more than double the risk of serious lung disease.

The study, published on March 15 and involved almost 250,000 participants, found that people who vaped, even without a history of smoking, were 2.29 times as likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Experts told the New Straits Times that the study's findings should compel Malaysian authorities to reassess their strategy on the sale of vape products in the country to safeguard public health.  Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vice-chairman Datuk Seri Ayub Yaakob said the foundation had long urged authorities to prohibit the import, sale and use of vapes in the country due to their harmful effects

"The risks associated with vaping are well known, and several of our neighbouring countries have already taken steps to ban its use and distribution," he said, citing the example set by Singapore and Thailand.

Ayub said Malaysia should not allow the vape industry to develop unchecked, warning that its long-term impact could be even more damaging than the nation's ongoing battle with drug abuse.

"If we allow vaping to become a business opportunity, the consequences could be more severe than what we have faced with drugs.

"Even after decades, we have not been able to completely wipe out drug abuse in this country," he said.

He expressed concern that the widespread availability of vape products could expose children and teenagers to harmful substances, with some reportedly starting as young as 12.

"We urge the authorities to re-evaluate the decision to allow vape products in Malaysia. Prevention is far better than cure.

"The cost of treating vape-related illnesses or managing its social impact may far exceed any short-term economic gain."

Ayub also warned that the vape market, driven by evolving chemical formulations, could become increasingly difficult to regulate.

He said enforcement would be more challenging as these products continued to change form and composition, making it harder for the authorities to keep up.

"We cannot risk the health of the public just to protect the interests of a few. This recent finding from Oxford University should compel the government to act decisively," he added.

However, Malaysia Society for Harm Reduction (MSHR) chairman Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said an outright ban might not be the answer.

She said while vaping was never meant for non-smokers and should not be used by them, banning vape products without simultaneously addressing tobacco use could drive users back to cigarettes or illicit vape products.

Sharifa said while the Oxford University study reinforced the health risks of vaping, the findings did not specify crucial factors such as the content of the vape liquid, nicotine dosage, types of flavouring, coil power and duration of use — all of which could significantly influence health outcomes.  "The government can ban vape, but such a move must also come with a simultaneous ban on cigarettes. If not, vape users may revert to smoking or worse, turn to cheaper, illegal tobacco products that are more harmful and widely available," she said.  "The government can ban vape, but such a move must also come with a simultaneous ban on cigarettes. If not, vape users may revert to smoking or worse, turn to cheaper, illegal tobacco products that are more harmful and widely available," she said.

Sharifa cautioned that outright bans, without strong enforcement and proper regulation, could backfire, citing countries like India, Australia and Thailand, where illicit vape markets had flourished.

"Singapore has successfully banned vape due to its low smoking population, strong regulatory framework, low corruption rates."