Malaysia’s vape sector pleads for ‘opportunity to breathe’ as strict smoking laws loom

Industry seeks more time to offload inventories, saying rules aimed at kicking addiction among under 18s being rolled out without consultation

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The legislation will also require that vape products be kept off counters in Malaysian supermarkets and sundry shops. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:30pm, 26 Sep 2024

Strict new smoking controls to be enforced across Malaysia from next week could decimate a vape sector fast approaching US$1 billion in value, the industry’s stakeholders have warned, as the country seeks to stub out addiction among under 18s.

The health ministry will bring into force the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act on October 1, which will ban the sale, purchase and services related to all forms of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes – including vapes – to anyone below the age of 18.

Tobacco control advocates have blamed smoking for causing an estimated 16 billion ringgit (US$3.9 billion) in healthcare costs and productivity losses in 2021. The government has also accused some in the vape industry of targeting children in their promotional activities with sweet flavours and bright coloured products.

But vape industry players argue the excessively strict rules were rolled out without consultation and time and will cause steep losses for businesses forced to swap out their inventories on such short notice.

They added that there are two issues with the measure which the trade group is seeking to review – the limit on vape liquid volume in bottles and disposable devices and the hard ban on open display of vape products at retail checkout counters.

“It is not that we do not agree with the law. We agree that we must protect children,” said Adzwan Manas, president of the Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (Mreca).