NGO gathers 50,000 signatures to urge government to regulate vapes

The Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities (MOVE), has succeeded in collecting 50,000 signatures from among e-cigarette or vape entrepreneurs and buyers to urge the government to regulate the use of the products in the country.

MOVE president, Samsul Kamal Arriffin said the NGO wanted the government to ensure that the manufacture, sale and distribution of the products are managed in a systematic, safe and structured manner.

"We have received a lot of feedback saying that vape is more detrimental to health compared to smoking, whereas vape uses vaporised liquid which is heated electronically.

"Generally vape consumers want the use of vape and the vapour be regulated like tobacco.

"This is because vaping is gaining in popularity in Malaysia and some people are willing to change their lifestyle by choosing vape as an alternative to smoking," he told a press conference here Saturday.

Vape is an electronic device that simulates or resembles smoking and with each inhalation, an electronic computer chip powered by a battery will activate an atomizer which heats the fluid which in turn generates smoke-like vapour.

Meanwhile, UMNO Youth vice-chief, Khairul Azman Harun who received the petition, said UMNO Youth was against a ban on vaping but wants the government to regulate vape products as studies have shown that vaping could reduce nicotine addiction among heavy smokers by up to 80 percent.

He added that e-cigarette entrepreneurs, who first introduced the products in Malaysia in 2011, must adopt good manufacturing practice so that the products currently used by 400,000 consumers, would not be a health hazard.