Latest news with #MalaysianVapeIndustryStudy2023
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Malaysia's drug-laced vape crisis
Whether we like it or not, we must acknowledge that Malaysia is facing a vape crisis. We can't claim to be surprised. Malaysia's Health and Morbidity Survey, as long ago as 2022, alerted the nation of the growing danger: 14.9 per cent of school students aged 13-17 were vape users. Three states have done the wise thing. Perlis, Terengganu and Johor have either banned vaping or stopped issuing licences to vape traders. But Malaysia isn't just the three states. A nationwide ban is needed if we want to save our teenagers from ruining their lives, and simultaneously protecting the nation's future. True, as lawyers point out, there is a chance for state laws to be in conflict with federal laws to the extent the former aren't consistent with the latter as spelt out in Article 75 of the Federal Constitution. A nationwide ban will avoid this. What takes a country to a good place? Human resources — the educated and healthy ones. Both of these are a challenge when Malaysians start vaping as early as 12. The vape industry is big. According to the Malaysian Vape Industry Study 2023 by the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce, the business was worth RM3.48 billion in 2023. There were 306 vape industry players in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Melaka and Penang alone in 2022. The industry as a whole employed 31,500 people, more than double that of 2019. The study also revealed that there were 1.4 million adult vape users. Sure, traders and workers will be impacted. But why perpetuate an unhealthy — even a dangerous — trade that will only cost the government more in health bills later? Isn't prevention better than cure? Prevention was also in the mind of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, when, on April 17, he urged other states to ban vaping. His call to action is not about a future threat, but a present danger. The police are detecting more and more vape use being linked to synthetic drug abuse, he told reporters. A worrying 65 per cent of vape contents had methamphetamine and ecstasy, two drugs favoured by teenagers. Students as young as 13 years old were found using vape devices containing liquids mixed with drugs. Welcome to the world of drug-laced vapes, known as "Kpods", whose deceptive flavours lead the young into the venomous world of zombies. One puff and the rest is an addled-mind story. Little do the teenagers realise the long-term neurological and organ damage such "zombie" drugs cause. If this isn't worrying enough, vape-drug processing laboratories are being discovered around the country. On April 16, the police uncovered a drug laboratory in Kedah processing vape liquids containing drugs. The processed drugs were meant for distribution in Kedah, Penang and the Klang Valley. The police arrested 61 people and seized RM6 million worth of drugs in the raid. If drug syndicates used to import them from the Golden Triangle, they have now set up drug processing labs here, with generous help from greedy locals.
Focus Malaysia
16-06-2025
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Vape ban will backfire: Industry, consumer advocates urge gov't to enforce regulations instead
AS Pahang becomes the latest Malaysian state to announce a ban on vape products, industry and consumer representatives are calling for a more balanced approach. They are urging the relevant authorities to focus on enforcing existing federal regulations under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) instead of implementing blanket bans that risk worsening public health and safety. The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) and the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) Malaysia have both voiced serious concern over the growing trend of state-level vape bans. Both warned that such measures will not eliminate vaping but will instead push the activity underground, benefiting black market operators and endangering consumers. 'The vape industry in Malaysia is not a fringe sector. It is a legitimate, regulated industry that contributes significantly to the economy,' the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) secretary-general Ridhwan Rosli told FocusM. 'According to the Malaysian Vape Industry Study 2023, the industry was valued at RM3.48 bil, employing 31,500 workers and supported by 7,500 general retail shops and 2,500 specialty vape shops. 'These are real jobs, real businesses and real livelihoods that are now at risk because of these state bans.' Lacking enforcement Instead of banning vape products outright, Ridhwan urged state governments to work with the federal government to enforce Act 852 which provides a clear framework to regulate the sale, marketing and manufacturing of vape products in Malaysia. 'Vape retailers have already submitted the necessary documentation to the Health Ministry (MOH) to comply with product registration and price approval requirements with approvals expected anytime now,' he lamented. 'This clearly shows that legal industry players are ready and fully supportive of Act 852. We should be focusing on rolling out and enforcing Act 852 instead of sidelining it through outright bans.' Ridhwan further expressed concern that enforcement has not yet caught up with the law despite legal industry players being fully prepared to comply with Act 852. 'In fact, we've been pushing for these regulations for years because we believe in responsible business practices,' he justified. 'But when bans are imposed, it punishes the compliant legal players and creates a vacuum that illegal and unregulated vendors will quickly fill. 'The bad actors are the ones operating in the shadows to distribute vape products containing illicit substances. A ban won't stop them; it will just give them more customers.' Harm reduction compromised Echoing similar concerns, the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) has also highlighted the dangers of pushing consumers to the black market. 'When state governments ban access to legal, regulated products, consumers don't stop using them but they simply lose the protection of safety standards and quality control,' opined CCC's Malaysia country associate Tarmizi Anuwar. 'The black market becomes the only option, and that's where real harm begins. Products with unknown ingredients, unregulated nicotine levels and dangerous additives become widespread. That's a far greater risk to public health.' Tarmizi went on to urge Malaysia to focus on harm reduction as a central public health strategy. 'Millions of Malaysians are still smoking cigarettes when vape has been a proven tool to help many of them transition away from combustible tobacco. By banning vape, we risk reversing that progress by driving smokers back to far more harmful products,' he warned. He also stressed the need for both the federal and state authorities to work together to ensure Act 852 is effectively enforced, particularly at retail points of sale through proper licensing, age verification mechanisms and routine inspections. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Berita RTM (@beritartm) 'If states truly want to protect public health, they must regulate – not prohibit. Enforcement is key, not prohibition.' With Johor and Kelantan having had long-standing bans in place since 2016, and now Terengganu and Perlis set to implement similar prohibitions from Aug 1 1, MVCC and CCC warn that Malaysia risks creating a fragmented regulatory landscape that undermines national policy coherence. 'We urge state governments to re-consider,' reasoned Tarmizi. 'Let's give the new regulations under Act 852 a chance to work. 'Let's strengthen enforcement, crack down on the black market and support responsible businesses that are committed to harm reduction. Bans may seem like an easy fix but they will only create bigger problems down the road.' – June 16, 2025
New Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
No watchdog, more risk: Vape misuse soars amid regulatory void
KUALA LUMPUR: The absence of a dedicated regulatory body overseeing the contents and quality of vape products in Malaysia is a significant factor contributing to their misuse, including the presence of illicit substances. Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) secretary-general Ridhwan Rosli said that without proper oversight, there would be no mechanism to verify the safety and legality of vape products available to consumers. This lack of regulation had led to instances where vapes were used to consume illegal drugs, he told Buletin Utama. "There is no agency in Malaysia that regulates the quality of vape products. This is exactly why we're seeing the misuse of vapes for drug consumption," he added. Ridhwan said that the absence of checks allowed for the sale of unverified and potentially harmful products. He was commenting on the government's move to impose a ban on electronic cigarettes and vapes — a decision that has left many industry players and traders in a state of uncertainty. He said that instead of an outright ban, the government should consider implementing a proper regulatory framework to control and monitor the industry. Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities (Move) president Samsul Kamal Ariffin said that such a ban could lead to the proliferation of untested and unapproved products, exacerbating health risks. "We will lose out on the consumer side, as the products will no longer be regulated at all — this will lead to a black market filled with untested and unapproved items," he said. Pointing out the economic implications, he said that the government would miss out on potential tax revenue from the industry. According to the Malaysian Vape Industry Study 2023, the vape market was valued at over RM3.48 billion in 2023, involving more than 7,500 premises and employing over 31,500 individuals. The study indicates that a significant number of smokers have switched to vaping, with 31 per cent of Malaysian smokers having completely transitioned to vape products. On May 4, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the government was encouraging more states to cease issuing licences to premises selling vape and e-cigarettes, in line with actions already taken by some states. On April 24, Terengganu Local Government, Housing and Health Committee chairman Datuk Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah announced that the state would ban the sale of vape products at all premises from Aug 1. Wan Sukairi said the decision was a proactive measure to curb the sale and use of vape products, which could have negative health effects on the younger generation. On April 27, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said he wanted to emulate Terengganu's move, adding that he would raise the matter at the state executive council meeting. Previously, both Johor and Kelantan had enforced a ban on the sale of vape and e-cigarette products since January 2016.
