The health minister says regulating the sale of the products is the best approach for now.
PETALING JAYA: The government is unable to ban vapes and e-cigarettes for now but will continue to regulate the sale of such products, says health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the respective state governments were permitted to enact their own policies on vapes, including banning its sale through the local councils.
Dzulkefly said his ministry will instead regulate these products through the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which came into effect last month, Bernama reported.
“Of course, we want to ban them, but if we can’t, we need to regulate them.
“The unity government maintains that regulation is the best approach for now,” he was quoted as saying.
Johor has banned the sale of vape products, at the decree of the sultan, since 2016.
Yesterday, the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, urged the government to ban e-cigarettes and vapes.
He cited the rising figures for drug abuse in Pahang, especially among youths, saying vape was a gateway of sorts to drug addiction.
Citing statistics from the National Anti-Drugs Agency, the sultan said Pahang had the fifth highest number of drug addicts among all states, with 11,750, and that 57% of them were aged between 15 and 30.
Source: FMT
