CAP says nicotine exemption will lead to more ‘vapeholics’

 

A consumer association says years of campaigning against smoking were going to waste after the decision on nicotine products for vaping.

PETALING JAYA: The Consumers Association of Penang foresees more people becoming “vapeholics” following the government’s removal of nicotine liquids and gels from the poisons list.

CAP education officer N V Subbarow said the government had pawned its moral values for the sake of commercial interest in delisting the two products.

Years of hard work by teachers and NGOs to campaign against smoking had gone to waste, he said.

“We do not understand the rush and the stealthy way it was removed from the poisons list using ministerial power. The government is making big mistakes so we are now going to see more vapeholics,” he told FMT.

“It is tantamount to the health ministry encouraging thousands of students and youths to take poison. Anti-smoking campaigners and teachers whom CAP has worked with are calling us to ask what is going on,” he said.

The removal of nicotine liquids and gel, used for e-cigarettes and for vaping, was gazetted on Friday leading to criticism of health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa for having reportedly used her ministerial powers to overrule the Poisons Board’s unanimous recommendation against exemption for the two products.

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Subbarow said members of the Poisons Board should resign as the government was not listening to their advice.

He said over the last two years, CAP had organised more than a hundred education and awareness programmes for primary and secondary schoolchildren about the dangers of nicotine found in vape liquid.

“Our campaigners have actually met thousands of students who vaped and told them they’re consuming poison. Some listened to us and gave up vaping altogether,” he said. - FMT