Malaysia
E-cigarettes should be strictly regulated as a pharmaceutical product in Malaysia – that’s the recommendation of the health ministry’s technical committee tasked with studying the health effects of e-cigs and shisha smoking, reveals its chairman, senior consultant chest physician Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Razak Muttalif, a former director of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital Institute of Respiratory Medicine.
The initial recommendation was to ban e-cigs all together, he shares in a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur. But because there were “a lot of issues”, which he declines to elaborate on, the committee decided on the next best thing: strict regulation.
Last year, rural and regional development minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the health ministry’s ban on sales of vapes containing nicotine would kill the Malay-dominated industry. The minister made the comment after several groups lodged a police report over the issue.
Dismissing the concerns of pro-vaping groups that legislating e-cigs as a pharmaceutical product will push up costs and make them inaccessible to smokers who want to quit, Dr Abdul Razak says that it’s the same as buying medicine. The minimum age restriction for the sale of e-cigs, however, is still being debated. While he thinks having a global regulatory standard is ideal, it is not realistic as different countries have different local issues to contend with: “I’ll be very happy if it’s 21 but we are also looking at 18.”
He questions the reliability of Greek cardiologist Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos’ claim that a large number of Malaysians have quit smoking because of vaping. The researcher, who will release his findings on the country’s vapers later this week, told Sunday Star last month that the new survey shows a high cessation rate of smoking regular cigarettes among vapers here.
The e-cig devices, he says, must comply with Malaysian Standard, a technical document that specifies the minimum requirements of quality and safety for voluntary use by the public. The committee is also seeking to review the Poisons Act 1952 to include e-cigs.
In May, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam announced that laws to regulate the vaping industry will be ready before the end of the year. The laws will involve all aspects of vaping and its products and accessories as well as distribution.