State-wide vape ban will not work; it'll only proliferate illicit drug-induced products

Focus Malaysia

06-06-2025

THE Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA) – a non-profit advocacy group that supports vaping s to help smokers quit – has opposed ban sale of vape products by state governments while calling on state policymakers to work alongside the federal government to regulate vape products in Malaysia.
This is because a ban on sale of vape products by stopping the issuance of business licence for local traders will only create negative consequences especially when the federal government has already enacted laws to regulate vape products, according to MVA's president Khairil Azizi Khairuddin.
'Consumers want access to regulated products. But this situation will only force consumers to seek products from alternative source including illegal channels which will lead to flourishing of illegal vape products and underground market,' he envisages.
MVA further revealed that banned substance, notably products laced and infused with drugs are not sold in vape shops but on online platforms including social media channels and applications such as Telegram.
Last year alone, the Home Minister had during a Dewan Rakyat session cited a study by Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital which found that 65% of underage vape users in Kelantan were found to be vaping a substance known as magic mushrooms although the state has stopped licence issuance for vape shops and vape trading since 2015.
'Clearly, the ban on vape shops is not the right solution,' asserted Khairil.
'Instead, the authorities should ensure that only regulated vape products are available for sale in vape shops, increase enforcement efforts against the sale of products laced and infused with drugs on those channels, and by imposing heavy penalties including mandatory jail term for those involved.'
Harm reduction is the way to go
In a related development, MVA also stressed that the use of vape products should not be confused with drug use as data has shown that countries embracing harm reduction like Sweden, the UK and New Zealand are seeing record drops in smoking rates.
'Research from leading health authorities confirms vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking in addition to be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies,' observed Khairil.
'However, banning risks pushing people back to cigarettes. As the evidence mounts, it's impossible to ignore the transformation that harm reduction has brought to public health.'
In Sweden, for example, the widespread use of less harmful nicotine products has nearly eliminated smoking while New Zealand is on the path to a smoke-free future.
'The data is clear: when adults have access to regulated vaping products, smoking rates fall faster, more lives are saved and health inequalities are reduced. Yet, too often, these success stories are left out of the any conversation,' lamented Khairil.
'Coinciding with the recent World Vape Day on May 30, we urge policymakers to put facts before fear, to listen to the real experiences of people who have quit and address the issue with the real solution instead of stopping licence issuance to traders for sale of vape products.' – June 4, 2025
Images credit: Malaysian Vapers Alliance/Facebook