KUALA LUMPUR, NOV 3 — The PAS-led Kelantan government does not issue permits to shops selling electronic cigarettes or “vapes”, its executive councillor (exco) has said in its state assembly.
PAS-owned news portal HarakahDaily reported yesterday Datuk Abdul Fattah Mahmood, the exco in charge of local councils, housing, youth and sports explaining that e-cigarettes in the state are mostly sold in gadget stores instead.
“Just like shisha, the local authorities do not issue such permits. If they are found doing so, their sales equipments can be confiscated,” Abdul Fattah said in reply to PAS’ Kelaboran assemblyman Mohd Zaki Ibrahim.
Abdul Fattah added that Kelantan will wait for the state health department and its mufti’s reports before taking any further action on the issue.
The Health Ministry said today it will confiscate nicotine content found in e-cigarettes from all traders nationwide, in a move to discourage Malaysians from vaping.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said that the ministry is empowered to do so under the 1952 Poisons Act and 1983 Food Act, pointing out that vape shops currently not licensed to sell any products which contain nicotine.
Dr Subramaniam was quoted over the weekend saying that the selling and promotion of e-cigarettes could very well be restricted if the government decides to apply the same set of rules regulating the use of tobacco products to “vaping”.
Concerns over vaping exist largely due to their initial positioning as electronic replacements for cigarettes, prompting fears that the former may be as harmful as conventional tobacco use.
