Category: Safety EN

Why We Need to Periodically Disconnect from Our Phones A recent study suggests that taking a 3-day break from using a smartphone can help reset the brain of someone addicted to it. Excessive phone use, especially social media and constant notifications, can overstimulate the brain’s reward system, leading to dependency similar to other forms of addiction. This overuse often results in anxiety,...

Malaysia has prohibited the sale and distribution of a popular Thai inhaler after authorities in Thailand issued an urgent recall over microbial contamination. In a statement on 6 November, the Health Ministry said the “Hong Thai Formula 2” inhaler was not registered with Malaysia’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA). “The sale and possession of unregistered medicines is an...

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is deeply concerned about the sale of firecrackers in the overcrowded Little India area during the festive season. The area is packed with stalls and canopies, leaving little space and creating a serious fire hazard. Many of these stalls are not properly equipped; they lack fire extinguishers, safe storage, and basic safety measures. A single spark in...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to urgently improve accessibility in public buildings and government premises. A recent CAP survey has revealed alarming gaps in basic facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), effectively denying them equal rights to access public services. Findings from our survey include: 1. Tuanku Syed...

7 October 2025: Penang, Malaysia/Quezon City, Philippines.  Malaysian and Filipino civil society groups advocating for consumer and environmental health deplored the online sale of a traditional Chinese skin patch to relieve swelling and pain that has been analysed to contain elevated levels of heavy metals such as lead and mercury. In a joint press release, the Consumers’ Association of...

Toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition (EWC) in the Philippines has issued an alert on lipsticks that are heavily contaminated with lead, a neuro and reproductive toxicant, which can have damaging effects on the health of women, as well as children. This follows the issuance of 6 advisories by health authorities there warning the public against the purchase and use of imported Qianxiu...

September 26 is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a day for all nations to confront a sobering truth: nuclear weapons are ticking time bombs in our midst, and there are strong reasons to ban them. Nuclear weapons are not just tools of war; they are instruments of annihilation. Designed for mass death, they indiscriminately kill civilians, destroy ecosystems, and...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and local authorities to review and regulate the rapid increase in electronic advertising billboards along major roads. These digital billboards, with their highly conspicuous and rapidly changing displays, pose a serious risk of distracting drivers and compromising road safety. Our recent survey in...

A Quick Killer and Destroyer of Worlds There is a tool that can unmake us. It begins with a flash so bright that, through closed eyes and cupped hands, you could see the bones of the people huddled around you. Within minutes, it evaporates major cities and sends every one of the 12,000 or so airborne passenger aircraft tumbling from the sky. Within days, it sparks anarchy as governments and...

Cookware, paint, toys. Many everyday items may contain lead, a toxic heavy metal responsible for over 1.5 million deaths each year. It poses a particular threat to children and harms biodiversity. It is a cumulative toxicant particularly hazardous to young children and pregnant women. No safe level of lead exposure has been established. Once taken into the body, lead can cause permanent damage to...