This year, Hawaiʻi's attorney general joined a national campaign against the sale of illegal tobacco products — including some vaping devices. This week, one country in Asia announced plans for a more severe crackdown on vaping.
Malaysia’s health minister wants to outlaw electronic cigarettes.
The Malay Mail reports he told the lower house of the Malaysian parliament this week that the Health Ministry is “moving towards a complete ban on the sale and use of electronic cigarettes or vapes.”
This has been a politically sensitive issue in Malaysia for some time.
Even the health minister admits it’s a complicated matter — government tax revenue is involved, and so are jobs and political support.
Any proposed law will go through at least four government ministries and would face immediate pushback from a well-organized opposition.
There are two separate industry groups, including one called The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce.
The other is the Malaysian Retail Electronic Cigarette Association.
In a joint statement, the two groups urged regulation rather than an outright ban, saying that “History has shown that when consumers are denied access to legal vape products, they turn to the black market and risk exposure to unregulated, unsafe substances.”
They also say the vaping industry supports more than 31,000 Malaysian jobs and contributes more than $800 million to the economy each year.
No word yet on a political timeline for legislation.
