KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — An e-cigarette advocacy group claimed today that the “haram” fatwa that makes it forbidden for Muslims to vape does not apply for those who take it up as an alternative to quit smoking.

Responding to the declaration by the National Fatwa Council last month, the Malaysian E-Vaporisers and Tobacco Alternative Association (Mevta) said it however agrees that the fatwa should apply to non-smokers who take up vaping.

“We have to see this from a positive side. It can be considered haram, if vaping uses harmful material,” the group’s vice-president Rizani Zakaria told reporters.

“It can be considered haram to those who are not already smoking, because it will be a waste of money and harm their health. Two different adverse effects in one. You are purposely trying to seek harm when you have none. It will drive you to an early grave.”

Rizani claimed for those who are trying to quit, vaping provides an alternative that will instead reduce the harm of smoking, comparing it to nicotine gum and patches.

Last month, local daily Utusan Malaysia reported National Fatwa Council chairman Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abd Shukor Husin as saying that Islamic edicts have already been issued against the smoking of cigarettes and shisha, and that electronic cigarettes could be equated with the two.

Abd Shukor said just like smoking, vaping was decreed “haram” as it is dangerous, wasteful and harmful to health.

Mevta is a year-old advocacy group made up of e-vaporiser users, distributors and vendors, that claimed to have over 100 full-fledged members and over 6,000 associate members.

The group said that Malaysia is the world’s second largest market for vaping after the United States, with sales estimated at RM2.84 billion last year.