PETALING JAYA: Vaping and vape products cannot be banned outright in Malaysia for now, say experts.
Malaysia Council for Tobacco Control president, Dr M Murallitharan, said any proposed ban is not realistic, given the prevalence of vape products, even in rural areas.
“If we ban vape now, it will be a very empty and unenforceable situation,” he said, adding that there is no mechanism or capacity to enforce the ban which advocates have been championing since 2024.
He said with the passage of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), frameworks to regulate vaping are being put into place.
“The government is building a mechanism to see every process of the vape cycle.
“There are now laboratories to test for liquids, regulations on the types of devices are there, and ban on online selling of vape,” he said.
Dr Murallitharan said with these mechanisms to regulate vape, further restrictions and even an outright ban in the future would be more feasible.
Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities president Samsul Kamal Ariffin agreed that a ban is not the solution as it will drive the vape market underground.
“This will lead to a worse scenario where there are regulations, but more people will use unsafe vape, without any quality and nicotine control,” he said.
That said, he added that when vape contents are regulated, sale of vape products must be further regulated.
“Vape products should only be sold in vape shops, and not everywhere like in convenience stores.
“School children should not be allowed to enter vape shops, and there should be clear signages barring entry for those under 18,” he said.
Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association president Datuk Adzwan Manas also agreed that regulating rather than banning is the better approach.
“Existing laws must be accompanied by more effective and swift enforcement to ensure the smooth regulation of vape products,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations’ Tobacco Control/SmokeFreeMY Initiative co-ordinator, Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, said the government should stop giving excuses for why it still allows vaping, adding that official inaction has caused vaping to become more prevalent.
“We have been campaigning for a ban for many years. Now after vaping has gotten more rampant, the minister tells us it cannot be banned as it is too widely used,” he said, urging the government to take stern action right now.
