SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government will soon decide if a statewide ban should be imposed on the sale of vaping and e-cigarette products to safeguard public health.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said this followed the Malaysian Medical Association's (MMA) statement that cases of lung injury linked to vape and e-cigarette use have been reported in Malaysia, with treatment costs for each patient reaching six figures.
"The suggestion (by the MMA) is good. I will take this to the state exco for a decision soon," he told reporters Wednesday (May 21) after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri here.
Last week, the MMA urged the Federal Government to implement a nationwide ban on the sale of vaping and e-cigarette products.
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It said public health must take precedence over profit, and that the use of such products can jeopardise the well-being of future generations.
The MMA also cited figures from the Health Ministry, which reported that a total of 41 e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (Evali) cases have been reported from 2019 until last year, costing the government RM150,000 to treat each case.
The National Poison Centre, it said, also recorded 111 cases of incidents related to exposure to e-cigarettes or vape liquids from 2015 to 2023.
Asked if the state government would freeze the issuance of new licences for the sale of the products for the time being, Aminuddin said none were issued specifically for the sale of such products.
"The local councils issue licences for the general sale of electrical appliances, equipment, or gadgets.
"I will also ask the State Secretary to liaise with the local councils and see what can be done," he said.
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Aminuddin said he was also against the sale of such products as these were hazardous to health.
He added that if the authorities were to ban the sale of such products, they should also ensure that they are not available online.
"It will defeat the entire process of closing shops that sell these products when courier companies can send them to your homes directly," he said.
In 2016, the state government banned the use of vapes among Muslims in adherence with the decision of the National Fatwa Council.
However, it allowed the sale of e-cigarettes or vape products, taking into account the interests of non-Muslim consumers.
