Exploring The Influence of Socialization Agents 0n Vaping Use Among Adolescents in Negeri Sembilan

Abstract

The use of electronic vaporizers (vapes) among adolescents aged 13 to 17 has escalated into a complex cultural and public health crisis in Malaysia. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, this article analyzed the influence of various socialization agents on vaping tendencies among adolescents in Negeri Sembilan. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, this study maps the roles of primary socialization agents within the microsystem (family, peers, school), mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem (digital media, government policies). Primary qualitative data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with adolescent participants and vape vendors, field observations, and document analysis of policy frameworks, including the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852). Furthermore, the methodological framework, encompassing data triangulation design, expert validation protocols, and thematic analysis procedures, is detailed comprehensively. This study provides theoretical and practical implications for the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) and the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) in formulating psychosocial intervention modules and enforcement policies for vape prevention grounded in local social ecosystems.