RULES ON PROHIBITION OF E-CIGARETTE SALES EXPECTED TO BE IMPLEMENTED SOON

KANGAR, July 13 (Bernama) -- Specific regulations and orders related to the prohibition on the sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vape products including the sale of e-cigarettes through vending machines are expected to be implemented soon.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Attorney-General's Chambers is now in the final stages of researching the regulations regarding the ban before they are approved.

“We will monitor nationwide on this matter (sale of e-cigarettes via vending machines) so that it does not recur before we implement the regulations and orders, which are in the final stages in the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony of the Health Malaysia National Agenda (ANMS) and ‘Karnival Perlis Hebat: Sihat Milik Semua’ at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here today.

“God willing, as soon as the Attorney-General's Chambers endorses it, we will continue to implement these regulations and orders."

The Regent of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail inaugurated the opening ceremony. Also present was the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Dr Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil.

Yesterday, the media reported that a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur was ordered to stop selling electronic cigarettes via a vending machine.

It was reported that the Health Ministry (MOH) in a statement said the action was taken as a result of a complaint it received regarding the sale of the vape products from a vending machine. The matter (sale of vape products) went viral on the X application recently.

Meanwhile, when speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Dzulkefly said ANMS is a government initiative to improve health standards with the main goal of making Malaysians healthy through a culture of healthy living.

He said the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) last year revealed that the health status of  people in this country is worrying especially for non-communicable diseases (NCD).

He said 29.2 per cent or one in three adults in Malaysia suffer from high blood pressure while 33.3 per cent or one in three adults have high cholesterol.

"One in six adults or 15.6 per cent suffer from diabetes and 54.4 per cent of Malaysians (or one in two) are overweight which shows an increasing trend compared to surveys in 2011, 2015 and 2019," he said.

In the meantime, Dr Dzulkefly said Malaysia is well-known on the international stage, including at the 77th World Health Assembly which he attended in Geneva in May, as having an organised health system starting from village clinics to community clinics, Klinik Kesihatan (health clinics), as well as health facilities, and secondary and tertiary hospitals as well as centres of excellence that offer international standard services.

-- BERNAMA