PETALING JAYA: Hidden online vape networks expose consumers to potentially unregulated and dangerous products, with anti- tobacco advocates calling for enforcement efforts that keep pace with increasingly sophisticated sales tactics.
Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) president Prof Dr Murallitharan Munisamy said the emergence of referral-based vape websites and closed online groups points to deliberate attempts at evading detection while distributing products outside regulatory oversight.
“We are especially concerned about products that may contain excessively high nicotine concentrations, synthetic drugs or unknown chemical compounds.
“Also concerning is the possibility that these products are untaxed, unregulated or adulterated with dangerous substances,” he said when contacted.
Without proper oversight, Murallitharan said consumers, particularly youths, face significant health risks.
“Discreet online sales channels also make it easier for underage users to gain access without meaningful age verification,” he said.
He said the growing sophistication of these hidden sales platforms signals how enforcement under Act 852 is facing rapidly evolving challenges.
“The fact that these platforms require referrals and registration indicates a deliberate attempt to create underground distribution networks and avoid enforcement action,” he said.
Murallitharan stressed that authorities must move beyond traditional retail inspections and adopt more aggressive digital enforcement strategies.
Among the measures proposed were cybersurveillance operations, blocking illegal websites and groups as well as tracking payment gateways and delivery networks linked to illicit vape sales.
“There must be closer cooperation between enforcement agencies, financial institutions and e-commerce platform providers to dismantle these hidden supply chains,” he said.
He added that tougher penalties are needed against repeat offenders, organised syndicates and platforms found facilitating such sales.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations’ Tobacco Control coordinator Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah stressed that the government must be serious when it comes to enforcing Act 852.
“When the government says it intends to impose taxes for certain things, it can be swiftly incorporated. In this case, the continued sale of unregulated vapes both online and in stores is a matter of public health and interest,” he said.
