THE Persatuan E-Vaporizers dan Tembakau Alternatif Malaysia (MEVTA) has objected the recent move made by the authorities to seize vape products which resulted in a loss of hundreds of thousands for vape entrepreneurs.
This is because such action further impacts the income of vape business owners who are already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to MEVTA’s deputy secretary-general Syamil Hanafiah.
“Vape businesses are already affected due to the pandemic and we know that the country’s economy is also unstable,” he pointed out in a media statement.
“Therefore, we urge the Government to quickly introduce a set of regulation for the vape industry. With regulations in place, vape entrepreneurs who are primarily Bumiputera will be able to grow and generate stable income.”
These comments from MEVTA follows a series of raids carried out nationwide by the authorities which resulted in vape businesses incurring huge losses.
Syamil further noted that vape industry players welcome any efforts made by the Government to regulate the vape industry. With regulations in place, he said industry players will be able to conduct their business operations legally without concerns.
“In fact, we are more than happy to participate in discussions and share ideas to develop a set of regulations for the vape industry,” he explained.
“The vape industry has immense potential as it is worth over RM2 bil. Therefore, the Government must consider leveraging this industry to generate income for the country, create employment opportunities and attract domestic and foreign direct investments.”
Commenting on the incident of a couple giving their child, believed to be two years old, MEVTA said that the actions were irresponsible and has resulted in a negative perception on vape use.
“MEVTA is of the opinion that incidents like this should not have taken place given that consumers must be responsible with their usage of vape to ensure that the product is not misused by children,” said Syamil.
“At the same time, this incident further shows the need for regulations to ensure it does not reoccur,” said Syamil.
Countries such as the UK and New Zealand have implemented progressive regulations to regulate the vape industry, including prohibiting vape use by children and those under the age of 18.
But in Malaysia, industry players are still waiting for a legal framework to be drafted while facing product abuse issues which only create a negative perception of vape.
“This is despite the fact that vape can be effectively used to help smokers quit smoking as it is a less harmful alternative,” asserted Syamil.
“With this, MEVTA once again urges the government to immediately implement regulation for the vape industry. We need to stop situations like these which are only detrimental to both parties, namely entrepreneurs like us and the national economy.” – May 7, 2021
