KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd (BAT) hopes that the government will consult with the industry players on the move to introduce new laws that would regulate e-cigarettes, or also known as vape.
Managing director Erik Stoel said the company strongly supported the move to introduce new laws to regulate e-cigarettes, and the industry should be consulted to ensure robust quality and safety standards requirements were considered, such as those set by the British Standards Institution on e-cigarettes and e-liquids.
“Banning e-cigarettes will only encourage consumers to continue buying unregulated products. Already, Malaysian law enforcement agencies are facing a huge task of clamping down on illegal cigarettes. The last thing Malaysia needs to deal with is another illegal product boosting an already thriving black economy,” he said in a statement titled “Banning vape will bring negative impact to Malaysia”.
He said the recent events in the United States showed just how important it was to have effective regulations and enforcement to ensure product safety and to prevent youth access.
There has been an outbreak of vaping-related respiratory illness in the United States, with the death toll rising to nine so far based on reports.
“It is disappointing that up until today, we have not been consulted on these new regulations, especially at a time when effective regulations and policies are required to ensure that vaping products are safe and not sold to the underaged,” he added.
BAT Malaysia does not market its e-cigarettes and e-liquid products in Malaysia at present. — Bernama
