FOMCA urges the government to regulate vaping products again.
The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill should be reconsidered, and legislation governing the sale of vaping goods should be introduced, according to the Vape Consumers Association Malaysia (VCAM).
In reaction to the government’s generational end-game proposal to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anybody born after 2007, the group released a statement.
All vape goods will only be offered to adults in a safe and legal manner thanks to rules. If vaping were outlawed, smokers would have no safe substitute and could be forced to try cold turkey quitting, which has been shown to be less successful.
The group also said that smokers who are prepared to give up nicotine should have easy access to vaping devices as a cessation strategy.
If we don’t provide options for our customers, they’ll start seeking elsewhere, which is risky because individuals will always find a way.
The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce conducted a study in 2021 that pegged the local vape industry’s estimated value at RM2.7 billion, or 42% of the global cigarette market.
Despite the lucrative industry, there hasn’t been much legislation to control how vapes and electronic cigarettes are sold and used.
When the GEG plan was first introduced, it was intended to prohibit the sale of smoking products to anybody born after 2005. However, in response to strong opposition from MPs, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin chose to postpone the proposal until 2007.
Khairy tweeted: We have established the GEG for individuals born after 2007 and not 2005 after hearing views during stakeholder engagement meetings. This gives community education, a strong implementation strategy, and increased enforcement additional time (two years). #GEG is still going strong!
