KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The Vape Consumers Association Malaysia (VCAM) has today called for the Ministry of Health to rethink the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill and introduce laws to regulate the sale of vaping products.
The association’s statement was in response to the government’s generational end-game proposal to ban the sale of smoking products to anyone born after 2007.
“By having regulations, all vape products will only be sold to adult consumers safely and legally. Should vaping be banned, smokers would no longer have a safe alternative to turn to and they might have to resort to quitting cold turkey, which has been proven to be less effective,” the statement read.
The association also added that vaping products should be readily available as a cessation tool for smokers ready to ditch nicotine.
“If there are no alternatives offered for our consumers, people will start looking elsewhere and this is a dangerous route to go down as people will always find a way,” it said in the statement, emphasising that anyone aged under 18 should be strictly prohibited from the sale and purchasing of vape products.
According to a 2021 study by the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce, the local vape industry is estimated to be valued at RM2.7 billion, taking up a 42 per cent share of the tobacco market.
Despite the booming business, there has not been much regulation to govern the sale and use of vapes and electronic cigarettes.
The GEG proposal was initially set to ban the sale of smoking products to anyone born after 2005, but met with much resistance from MPs, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin decided that it will be pushed to 2007.
“Having heard views during stakeholder engagement sessions, we have set the GEG for those born after 2007 and not 2005. This allows more time (two years) for community education, a robust implementation plan & ramped up enforcement. #GEG is still a go!” Khairy tweeted yesterday.
