Regulating vape will help with tobacco harm reduction, says industry advocate

SHAH ALAM - Malaysia should expand its Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategies including proper regulation on vaping and e-cigarette products, said the Vape Consumer Association of Malaysia (VCAM).

Its president, Tengku Aslahuddin Ja’afar stated that all major stakeholders should work with the government to improve the nation's THR strategy in terms of proper regulation of vaping and e-cigarette products

“We believe that the responsible parties can expand on the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategy.

“As for the government, it is pivotal to speed up the process of legalising vape or e-cigarettes products with nicotine in order to support the THR strategy,” he told Sinar Daily.

He stated that vaping is an effective smoking cessation tool with many success stories globally where the usage of tobacco was reduced by switching traditional cigarettes to vape and other e-cigarettes products.

He said that the ban of vaping or e-cigarettes will only increase sales of counterfeit products and further fuel the black market, subsequently putting the consumers at risk.

VCAM has been insisting on reasonable regulations on e-cigarettes products and vaping as it will ensure consumer safety, set a minimum standard for the products and provide support to smokers who use vaping as a smoking cessation tool.

“We have confidence that the government should introduce a thorough framework for the proper regulation of e-cigarettes products and vape, also the establishment of a fair tax on the products to ensure that they are accessible for consumers to reduce tobacco usage in the nation,” he said.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced in his 2022 New Year message that the government is planning to ban smoking and in turn create a new generation free from smoking and vaping habits by deciding to table a new Tobacco and Smoking Control Act called the "Generational End Game" in the upcoming Parliament meeting, which will replace the current tobacco product control legislation under the Food Act 1983.

On January 16, 57 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) voiced their support for the Health Ministry's comprehensive proposal to table the Tobacco and Smoking Control Act and include elements linked to the "Generational End Game" during the Parliamentary session this year.

The NGOs expressed their concern over new century smoking goods such as electronic cigarettes and vapes, which lead to an increase in smokers in Malaysia and the possibility of the products delaying the country's arrival at the End Game.