Malaysia Moves Aggressively to Regulate Vaping Advertising
According to The Star, all local authorities in Selangor, Malaysia, have been instructed to immediately seize and confiscate advertisements related to vaping products in the state. State Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin
According to The Star, all local authorities in Selangor, Malaysia, have been instructed to immediately seize and confiscate advertisements related to vaping products across the state. Jamaliah Jamaluddin, chair of the state’s public health and environment committee, said the decision was made at a coordination meeting on May 16, where a proposal to ban the sale of vaping products was discussed.
She said in a statement today (May 20): "This action is in line with the provisions of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2023 (Act 852), which clearly prohibits any form of advertising, promotion and sponsorship related to vaping products."
Jamaliah said the meeting also discussed various issues related to the use and sale of vaping products, including enforcement challenges, licensing, legal issues, and monitoring.
She said: "We also discussed the issue of online sales, because online sales are difficult to control and are often the main channel through which teenagers gain access to these products." "According to the 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey report, an estimated 14.9% of male adolescents aged 13 to 17 in Malaysia use e-cigarettes. This statistic is alarming and requires proactive action at the national level."
She then said the state government would soon convene a follow-up meeting through the standing committee on public health to discuss policy options that should be considered before the final proposal is submitted to the state executive council meeting for a decision.
