Doctors urge nationwide ban on the sale of vapes
Published on: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Published on: Sat, May 17, 2025
By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2023, which found that e-cigarette users had increased exponentially by 600pc over the past 12 years, with the prevalence among those aged 15 to 25 also rising from 1.1pc to 8.6pc in that period. PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) urged the Government to impose a nationwide ban on the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes, commending four states for implementing prohibitions on their own. MMA President Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the harmful effects and high healthcare costs associated with treating conditions like e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (Evali) were well documented.
Advertisement He said the Health Ministry had reported 41 Evali cases from 2019 to 2024 and that it had cost the Government RM150,000 to treat each patient. 'MMA strongly believes that a comprehensive national ban is the only viable course of action to safeguard public health. 'Public health must take precedence over profit, and we cannot allow these harmful products to jeopardise the wellbeing of future generations. 'While a federal ban on vape products may require legislative amendments, this should not delay urgent action,' he said in a statement.
Advertisement Kalwinder also cited the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2023, which found that e-cigarette users had increased exponentially by 600pc over the past 12 years, with the prevalence among those aged 15 to 25 also rising from 1.1pc to 8.6pc in that period. Expressing concern over the use of vapes among the youths, he said it was unsurprising for children to get hooked on the products given their attractive flavours and packaging. 'Close to 20,000 cases of students vaping in schools were reported in the country last year. This is despite the age restriction on the sale of vaping and e-cigarette products. 'We are also deeply concerned over reports of students as young as 13 caught using vapes containing substances mixed with drugs.' The Perlis government announced on Wednesday that it would ban the sale of vapes from Aug 1, joining Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu in imposing a full ban on vape sales. Terengganu's ban will be enforced from Aug 1, while Johor and Kelantan have banned the sale of these products since 2016 and 2015, respectively. Kedah has decided not to impose an outright ban but to stop allowing the renewal of business permits for vape traders once their licences expire. Kalwinder lauded the state governments of Johor, Terengganu, Kelantan and Perlis for taking 'decisive action' for the sake of public health. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
18 hours ago
- The Sun
KPWKM provides immediate aid to 10 UPSI students in ICU
PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) will provide RM1,000 each in immediate aid to 10 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) warded in the intensive care units of two hospitals in Perak. Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the donations are through Yayasan Kebajikan Negara under the 'Skim Pemberian Ehsan Kepada Keluarga Mangsa'. She said her deputy, Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, will visit the affected students on her behalf. 'Eight students are being treated at Taiping Hospital, while two are in Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh,' she told reporters after officiating the Women Seminar 2025 'EmpowerHER: Engage Energise Elevate', here today. Nancy said the ministry will also look into aid and support for the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. 'I think the families need time to grieve as well. It is not just about giving money. What they need most right now is emotional support,' she said, adding that the ministry is ready to offer the services of professional counsellors. 'But we cannot simply show up immediately, people are still devastated,' she said. The tragic crash occurred between 12.30 am and 1 am yesterday on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, when a chartered bus carrying UPSI students from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza. The accident claimed the lives of 15 students and left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, and the Alza's driver and three passengers.
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
Gerik bus crash: Women's Ministry to give immediate aid to 10 students in ICU
Nancy: 'This policy contains four objectives: survival, protection, development and participation.' PUTRAJAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will provide RM1,000 each in immediate aid to 10 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) warded in the intensive care units of two hospitals in Perak. Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the donations are through Yayasan Kebajikan Negara under the "Skim Pemberian Ehsan Kepada Keluarga Mangsa". She said her deputy, Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, will visit the affected students on her behalf. "Eight students are being treated at Taiping Hospital, while two are in Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh," she told reporters after officiating the Women Seminar 2025 "EmpowerHER: Engage Energise Elevate", here on Tuesday (June 10). Nancy said the ministry will also look into aid and support for the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. "I think the families need time to grieve as well. It is not just about giving money. What they need most right now is emotional support," she said, adding that the ministry is ready to offer the services of professional counsellors. "But we cannot simply show up immediately, people are still devastated," she said. The tragic crash occurred between 12.30 am and 1 am yesterday on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, when a chartered bus carrying UPSI students from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza. The accident claimed the lives of 15 students and left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, and the Alza's driver and three passengers. - Bernama
Daily Express
19 hours ago
- Daily Express
Ispire Malaysia says Johor plant operating above board
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had said that the Cabinet would decide on the fate of Ispire Malaysia Sdn Bhd's operations in Senai, Johor. (LinkedIn pic) PETALING JAYA: Ispire Malaysia Sdn Bhd today affirmed that its plant in Senai, Johor, which manufactures electronic cigarette devices, is fully compliant with local laws and regulations. In a statement, the firm said it operates under stringent procedures to ensure that all manufacturing activities at its Johor facility are exclusively for export purposes. Advertisement 'To date, Ispire Malaysia exclusively manufactures semi-finished hardware products destined solely for export. 'These products do not contain any nicotine or cannabis – liquid or gel – and thus are not subject to the health ministry's regulations under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024,' it said. It added that the products manufactured in its Johor facility are not marketed, sold, or distributed within Malaysia and not accessible to local consumers. All finished products are exported to regulated international markets such as the US and UK where they are approved for sale by local regulators, the company said. The firm also said that references cited in recent reports were largely drawn from Ispire's official US website and pertained to its business-to-business sales operations in jurisdictions where cannabis and related products are legal. 'These statements do not accurately reflect the operations of Ispire Malaysia, which strictly adheres to all Malaysian laws and regulatory requirements/frameworks,' it said. Health think tank CodeBlue previously reported that Ispire produces nicotine and cannabis-related vaping products, and that its devices are used by clients to fill cartridges with cannabis oils in global markets. The report cited an investor presentation in Las Vegas in April, published on YouTube on May 6, which stated that Ispire produces 'mainly cannabis-related products' in its Malaysian manufacturing facility, which has up to seven production lines. In a statement last week, the health ministry confirmed that the government had issued Ispire an interim nicotine manufacturing licence to produce e-cigarettes with nicotine in its plant in Johor, together with local council approval. However, CodeBlue noted that the ministry's June 2 statement did not mention the plant's production of cannabis vaporisers, which reportedly began in February 2024. Ispire Malaysia today said that any production of nicotine-based products, if initiated, would be strictly for export and subject to formal approval by all relevant government agencies at both federal and state levels. Yesterday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the Cabinet would decide on the fate of Ispire's operations in Malaysia. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
