Poll: Vape and tobacco cannot be regulated the same way

A MAJORITY (90%) of Malaysian vape users have shared their support for the introduction of vape regulations in Malaysia while noting that any regulations developed for vape must be different from regulations for traditional cigarettes.

This is because 84% of vape users believes vape to be a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes.

These findings are derived from a poll that was recently commissioned by local vape consumer advocacy group Malaysian Vapers Alliance (MVA).

“Despite an ever-growing amount of independent evidence proving that vaping has risk but is much, much less harmful than smoking, the Government continues to group vape products together with traditional cigarettes,” said MVA president Khairil Azizi Khairuddin on the findings of the study.

“These products could not be any more different from one another, and our survey proves that the vaping community in Malaysia is in agreement.”

According to Khairil, vape has already changed the lives of millions of smokers for the better and this traction can continue if regulators develop a framework that is differentiated and evidence-based.

“Regulations must strike a balance between ensuring vaping products are available for smokers who want to switch to a less harmful alternative and ensuring these products are not marketed or sold to young people.”

Findings from MVA also show that vape consumers want regulations that are in tandem with their usage and preference.

“For example, 79% vape users have indicated that they use vape liquids containing 40mg to 50mg nicotine. If regulations cap nicotine levels lower than that threshold, then 85% have said that they will resort to purchasing vape liquids that are not regulated,” Khairil noted.

“This is not ideal as unregulated vape liquids are not bound to any levels of quality and safety standards.

“In addition to creating a black market for vape products, such a situation may also be detrimental to the safety of vape consumers if they opt for unregulated products.”

The poll, which was open to the public for close to a week, saw some 1,000 vape users sharing their views on vape regulations in Malaysia.

Khairil went on to remark that the country now stands at a very critical place right in the centre of policy-making, especially in developing regulations from scratch.

“We now stand at a very critical place, as we have the opportunity to develop a set of regulations that will not only be beneficial to the economy, but also serve the needs of the local vaping community that is growing beyond a million Malaysians,” he added. – Feb 21, 2022

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