A man in Malaysia was arrested for placing an electronic cigarette in a baby’s mouth in an incident that was filmed and posted on social media.
The unidentified 23-year-old man was arrested on Aug. 8 in the Malaysian state of Johor following a police complaint filed by the mother of the child after the clip went viral, having received over 947,000 views on Twitter as of this writing.
In the video circulating on social media, the man can be seen holding the 7-month-old baby and placing the vape pen in the baby’s mouth while people can be heard laughing in the background.
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The baby belongs to the man’s friend’s sister, according to North Johor Bahru district police commander Rupiah Abd Wahid. The incident reportedly took place at a restaurant that he attended along with his friend and the mother of the child.
“All of a sudden, the man who was carrying the baby had jokingly placed the non-functioning e-cigarette into the baby’s mouth,” Wahid told Times Now. “This was recorded by the mother’s sister who posted it on social media and it went viral.”
Although the baby did not appear to be inhaling fumes from the allegedly non-functioning vape, the suspect may still be charged with exposing a child to danger. If he is found guilty, he may face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of Rs 90,000 (approximately $1,130).
The viral clip has sparked outrage on social media, with many viewers reacting angrily to those involved in putting the baby at risk.
“Even if the baby didn’t suck on the vape, do you know what’s inside? If you use the pod/vape, don’t share it with other people. Do you know how many germs are stored in it?” one user reportedly commented.
“We have a child. The first thing my husband changed was to stop smoking,” another user said. “So parents, please don’t be stupid. It’s a pity for the child.”
Featured Image via @fanaizty
