Sarawak set to ban vape sales
PETALING JAYA : Sarawak is set to enforce a state-wide ban on the sale of vape products following growing concerns over their misuse for drug abuse.
State youth, sports and entrepreneur development minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the decision was reached during a recent meeting of the national drug eradication action council, Komso reported.
'Previously, vape was seen as just a substitute for smoking. But now, it's being widely misused to consume drugs and other harmful substances,' Karim was quoted as saying.
'That is why the government must look into this matter seriously, and at the state level, we have agreed unanimously to ban vapes.'
The announcement comes as other states ramp up enforcement on vape advertising and sales. In Selangor, vape traders were warned to remove advertisements or face action.
Unlike Sarawak, however, Selangor has yet to decide on a full ban on vape sales, with proposed guidelines still under review.
Several state governments have moved towards completely banning the sale of vapes, including Perlis, Terengganu, Kedah and Pahang, while Johor and Kelantan have banned the sale of these products since 2016 and 2015, respectively.
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