MMA says relist nicotine under the Poisons Act.

According to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), nicotine ought to be reclassified under the Poisons Act right away.

It stated in a press release released late on Monday, Nov. 6, that nicotine gels and liquids should be added back to the Poisons Act 1952’s list of controlled substances right away.

In light of the government’s decision to separate the Generational End Game (GEG) from the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, the MMA stated that this should be done.

Here is the complete statement from the MMA;

The MMA demands that, in light of its decision to decouple the Generational End Game (GEG) from the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, the government immediately re-list nicotine gels and liquids as a controlled substance under the Poisons Act 1952.

We are extremely disappointed in the way the government has handled this entire situation. Vaping and smoking have an impact on public health. In the interest of public health, the Health Ministry should take the lead and do everything within its power to ensure that the Bill enabling strict regulation of the smoking and vaping industries is passed as soon as possible.Rather, we are witnessing an increase in government-caused delays and obstacles.

Has it only been decided that, as of last week, the GEG is ‘unconstitutional’ and ought to be kept apart from the Bill? The government was given months to thoroughly research the Bill from every angle. From the previous administration to the current one, this bill has been discussed. Any ministry would have sought the opinions and advice of its legal counsel or even the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) prior to introducing such a significant Bill in Parliament.

Arguing that the GEG is ‘unconstitutional’ at this juncture, when the Bill’s Second Reading was originally slated to be introduced on October 10th, sounds like just another move by the administration to impede or delay the procedure. It raises questions about the priorities of the government. The vape industry appears to be the most benefiting from their actions thus far.

The Health Ministry needs to relist nicotine gels and liquids under the Poisons Act right away in light of these recent developments and the unregulated state of the e-cigarette and vaping industries, lest they damage public confidence.

The Health Director General reported in June of this year that there had been 17 reports of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) in just one month. Additionally, he stated that data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 indicated that the percentage of teenagers under the age of eighteen (ages 13 to 17) who used electronic cigarettes increased from 9.8% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2022. Teenage girls saw a notable rise as well, rising from 2.8% in 2017 to 6.2% in 2022. The government’s decision to remove nicotine gels and liquids from the Poisons Act is taken seriously by the MMA. We vehemently disagree with this action and implore Malaysians to hold the government accountable for each and every instance of EVALI involving minors.