SHAH ALAM - Malaysian Association of Adolescent Health (MAAH) Committee Member Dr. Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamed stated that it is crucial for e-cigarettes, especially vapes to be banned in the new Tobacco and Smoking Control Act proposed by the Health Ministry.
He said that e-cigarettes renormalise smoking and jeopardise tobacco control effects in the nation since smokers use the excuse of vaping as a harm reduction as vapes are claimed to be less harmful compared to normal cigarettes.
Not only that, banning e-cigarettes would benefit the country positively as the massive number of vapers bears a heavy impact on the national healthcare system said Dr Mohamad Haniki.
"With at least 1 million vapers in Malaysia, the healthcare costs of treating diseases associated with e-cigs will also be staggering, maybe even more than the expenditure to treat smoking-related diseases,” he said to Sinar Daily.
"More evidence is found associating the harmfulness of e-cigarettes, including EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury), as well as respiratory, cardiovascular and even cancers. It may take many years to confirm for some of these e-cig related diseases, but it may be too late by then,” he added.
He also agreed that the new act proposed is a bold initiative taken by the government since there is a possibility of smokers objecting to the implementation of the act, but there is a need for the government to be strict in order to protect its citizens.
"The government is duty-bound to protect the citizens, especially the majority of whom are non-smokers.
"This is the reason the new tobacco control act needs to be made available as soon as possible to provide the legal framework to effectively enforce the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) articles of which Malaysia has been a part of since December 15, 2005,” he said.
When asked about MAAH’s expectation of the new act proposal, Dr Mohamad Haniki expressed concerns that the Tobacco Control Act is still being deliberated b the Attorney General’s Chamber.
"We fear the tobacco industry’s interference would cause further delay or watering down of the provisions. Similarly, enforcement of the Act would be the real litmus test of its success,” he said.
On January 16, 57 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) showed their support to the full proposal by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) to table the Tobacco and Smoking Control Act and at the same time create provisions related to the "Generational End Game" at the Parliamentary session this year.
The NGOs voiced their concern over the new millennium smoking products such as electronic cigarettes and vapes, which contributes to the increase of smokers in Malaysia and this might delay the nation from reaching the End Game in the expected period.