Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says that the government will be moving forward on implementing a full ban on e-cigarettes and vape products. Bernama cites the minister as saying that a Cabinet Memorandum (MJM) is expected to be tabled early next year.
“We are moving towards the ban. The main question is the timing. I am confident it will be as soon as possible, by mid-2026 or at the latest by the end of next year”, he was quoted as saying. This is due to rising health risks linked to vape use, including liquids contaminated with banned substances. Included in said list is synthetic cannabis.
According to the report, Dzulkefly had earlier stated in a written reply to the Dewan Negara that the band would be implemented in stages. This will start with open-system devices before being expanded to cover all types of vape products.
Where Does That Leave Heated Tobacco Products (HTP)?
In general, the term e-cigs and vapes are used interchangeably. But specifically for the name vape comes from the fact that users are inhaling the vaporised aerosol of a liquid product. That leaves Heated Tobacco Products (HTP) in a bit of a limbo. After all the government did propose a generational tobacco ban back in 2022, only to put the provision aside nearly two years later.
For the unaware, HTPs work in a similar way as vape, in that it involves an electronic device to heat up a product. But rather than liquid, compacted tobacco – natural or synthetic – is heated instead. Like vape, HTPs also does not involve burning, as the tobacco or substitute is electronically heated only to the point of releasing nicotine in aerosol form.
Taking the push to ban vapes at face value, this will mean that HTPs are not affected, just as regular cigarettes appear to not be. Though all of that doesn’t mean much unless the government makes clear what it is defining each as.
(Source: Bernama)
