Ministry denies vape store raids due to pressure from tobacco companies

The Health Ministry has denied the involvement of tobacco companies in its raid on vape stores. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, November 6, 2015.

The Health Ministry denied today that its raids on e-cigarette or vape stores were due to pressure from tobacco companies, following outrage from traders who were forced to temporarily close shops.

Ministry deputy director (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said they had never worked with any tobacco companies as doing so would contravene the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

"We have never worked with them. It's an offence under WHO FCTC. Is there any statistics outlining the industry's severe losses? Are there any statistics who are the vapers?" he told The Malaysian Insider.

In stressing that the current raids were the right step forward to fight this increasingly serious phenomenon, Dr Lokman said even school kids have taken up the vape habit.

"We are seeing a lot of non-smokers taking up vaping. In fact, this has even spread to students and children."

He said tobacco companies too would profit, adding that they wanted to invest in the e-cigaratte market.

"Actually, the cigaratte industry are the ones who will profit, when smoking is accepted as a culture and the addiction will be retained through the nicotine in vape liquid.

"Why do I say the cigarette industry will profit and take opportunity of this? Because the industry has started to buy shares and invest in this," he said but did not reveal the names of tobacco companies that were doing so.

As such, claims that tobacco companies were trying to throw their weight against the ministry was untrue.

"Why do they want to interfere in our actions. The ministry is taking a prevention is better than cure approach," he said, adding that the ministry would intensify its campaign against vaping.

Despite an announcement from a minister that the Cabinet had decided against imposing a ban on vaping, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday it would confiscate nicotine content found in e-cigarettes from all traders nationwide, in a move to discourage Malaysians from vaping.

Quoting the Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities president Samsul Kamal Arriffin, The Star had reported that more than 300 stores in Selangor alone and other areas in the country had been raided by the ministry.

He had said it was unfair for the clampdown when the Cabinet clearly stated otherwise.

On October 30, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had posted on his Facebook that vaping would not be outlawed.

"Good news for vapers, vape brewers and vape salesmen. Today, the Cabinet has decided not to ban vaping. Thank you to the prime minister and government who understand the aspirations of the youth."

- TMI