THE Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Health, Science and Innovation must give opportunity to local vape industry players to give their views on the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill, said the Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA).
The Health Ministry (MOH) also previously announced the intention to table the bill in Parliament in the middle of this year and that the Bill will include regulations on vape products as well as the “generation end-game” aimed at banning the sales of tobacco and vape products to anyone born after 2005.
MRECA said that the PSSC should allow local vape bodies and players including MRECA to give their views on the Bill.
“While the industry welcomes the Government’s move to introduce regulations on vape products more detailed discussions are needed on the regulations for vape products and also the ban of sale of vape products in the future,” said MRECA president Datuk Adzwan Abdul Manas.
“To date MOH has had minimal discussions with the local industry players and our main concern is that the Ministry intends to introduce regulations to regulate vape in the same way as tobacco products.”
Adzwan pointed out that the Government needs to see that tobacco products and vape products are different and that there are clear evidences from around the world that vape products are significantly less harmful compared to tobacco products.
“This is the fact that the Government needs to consider and the laws cannot be the same for vape products and tobacco products,” he added.
The proceedings by the PSSC began on April 7, 2022 with an initial briefing by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah on the Bill itself.
“This bill is very important as it will determine the fate of thousands of local entrepreneurs and workers in the vape industry,” said Adzwan.
“Therefore, we hope that the PSSC will call us to provide views on this matter. We also urge the Ministry of Health to conduct more detailed discussions with the local industry players before making final decisions.”
Adzwan also commented that the external expert panel appointed by the PSSC are not inclusive as almost all of them are known to have stated their stand to urge the Government to ban vape products all this while.
“PSSC should be more inclusive and not appoint only individuals that would provide one-sided views,” he noted.
“There are many other experts at international level that would give more objective views based on science and evidence especially on the less harmful nature of the products when compared to tobacco products.
“This way a more robust discussion can take place to balance the regulations for vape products.” – April 15, 2022
