Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (PEMADAM) is urging the government to impose a nationwide ban on the import, manufacture, production, distribution, sale, advertising, and use of vape and e-cigarettes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, PEMADAM is also advocating for specific legislation to prohibit all forms of vaping devices, regardless of nicotine content. This legislation would include bans on their sale, distribution, advertising, promotion, and use. The proposal was one of seven motions presented by PEMADAM National Women's Wing chairman, Datuk Jamelah A. Bakar, and was unanimously approved at the 46th PEMADAM national biennial general assembly on August 11.
Jamelah further proposed that all ministries, as well as federal and state agencies, including the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Ministry of Education, Royal Malaysia Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, and local authorities, collaborate with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to implement the ban. Other motions suggested include raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 and tightening enforcement with harsher penalties for sales to minors. Additionally, they call for intensifying public education campaigns in schools and communities on the dangers of vaping.
On July 28, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that the MOH is reviewing measures to impose a total ban on the use and sale of e-cigarettes or vape in Malaysia. He mentioned that any proposal for a ban would consider various factors, such as scientific evidence, cases of EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury), legal aspects, industry and economic implications, and enforcement effectiveness.
Currently, the states of Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah, and Pahang have suspended the issuance and renewal of licenses for selling e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, PEMADAM has raised concerns about the increasing prevalence of vaping in Malaysia, particularly among teenagers, women, and youth. The association argues that vaping is being marketed as a modern lifestyle choice that is allegedly safer than conventional cigarettes.
PEMADAM pointed out that vaping products often come in sweet flavors like candy and fruit and are aggressively promoted on social media through unethical marketing strategies, which successfully influence young people. The association highlighted that the nicotine content in vape products causes severe addiction, impairs brain function, increases mental and physical health risks, and could serve as a 'gateway' to drug abuse.
In response to these concerns, PEMADAM has suggested strengthening the enforcement of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852). They recommend combining this with education efforts, public awareness campaigns, and measures to curb the sale of drug-laced vape products. Additionally, the association called for the creation of a special enforcement task force, coordinated by the MOH and the police, to monitor, regulate, and swiftly address violations under Act 852, including joint operations to combat the smuggling and distribution of such products.