PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has missed its mid-year target for a nationwide vape ban, prompting pharmacists to demand a clear implementation timeline amid concerns over teenage addiction and drug-laced vaping products.
Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president Prof Amrahi Buang said the government should honour its commitment to a phased ban instead of considering another exemption for liquid nicotine used in vaping products.
"The government cannot tell Malaysians that it intends to end vaping while considering another exemption that could allow nicotine vapes to remain on the market.
"It must decide which direction it intends to take – and tell the public when it will act," he said in a recent statement.
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Prof Amrahi said the Health Ministry had targeted a phased nationwide ban by mid-2026, subject to Cabinet approval.
In January, the ministry said the first phase would cover open-system vaping devices, which could be misused to consume illicit substances.
However, the target date has passed without a firm implementation timeline.
Prof Amrahi said the delay was worrying, particularly as vaping among teenagers continued to be a concern.
Citing the National Health and Morbidity Survey, he said vape use among schoolgoing teenagers aged 13 to 17 rose from 9.8% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2022.
Nearly half of teenage vape users surveyed had first tried vaping before turning 14, he added.
He said the Health Ministry estimated the annual health and economic burden of vape-related diseases at RM369mil, compared with RM118.93mil in vape excise duty collected last year.
"Public health must never be measured simply by how much revenue a product generates.
"When we are dealing with addiction, particularly among children and adolescents, prevention must come first," he said.
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Prof Amrahi also raised concerns over the growing use of vapes to consume illegal drugs.
He cited a Nov 2 parliamentary reply showing that 429 cases involving vape liquids suspected of containing synthetic drugs were recorded between January and August.
The cases led to 643 arrests, with authorities seizing 121.47kg and 302.43 litres of suspected drug-laced vape materials.
He said substances linked to vaping products included ketamine, synthetic cannabinoids and etomidate.
"The emergence of drug-laced vapes should be a wake-up call.
"We are dealing not only with nicotine addiction, but also with devices that can be used to deliver dangerous substances, sometimes without users fully knowing what they are inhaling," he said.
Prof Amrahi urged the government to keep nicotine under the Poisons Act 1952 rather than introduce another exemption.
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He noted that the High Court had overturned the previous exemption for liquid and gel nicotine used in vaping products in May, with the government withdrawing its appeal in August.
He said the government should also clarify how the Poisons Act and the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 would work together.
MPS called for stronger enforcement against drug-laced vapes, including closer monitoring of illegal suppliers and improved laboratory testing.
It also urged the government to disclose the status of Cabinet discussions and recommendations from the expert committee reviewing the proposed ban.
"The government has already told Malaysians that it intends to ban vaping. It is now time to tell them when and how this will happen.
"Announce the first phase. Publish the implementation timeline," Prof Amrahi said.
