The Health Ministry should prepare a framework to regulate the contents of vapes as there are no such laws on the matter at present, said Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan.
The Bersatu supreme council member said he has sent Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad a letter calling for detailed and clear rules regarding vape contents.
"In the letter, I suggested that the Health Ministry refer to the standards in countries that have introduced regulations related to vaping before.
"For example, there are countries that have already enforced regulations to control the ingredients contained in vape liquid, its nicotine content and the concentration of vape liquid.
"In the European Union, each cartridge is only allowed to contain 2ml of vape liquid, while the nicotine content must not exceed 20mg per ml.
"Malaysia does not have this kind of regulation and it should be introduced immediately,” he said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Wan Saiful said that regulation of vape contents must be done to ensure that its ingredients are safe and will not harm users.
"Right now, there are no regulations in place to control the ingredients mixed in the vape liquid and we don't know if dangerous ingredients are also used,” he pointed out.
In his letter to Dzulkefly, he suggested that the Special Select Committee on Health can help in forming the legal framework.
Wan Saiful also offered his aid to Dzulkefly in the matter, adding that it would be better if other MPs who were interested in the issue were also given the opportunity to help.
Last year, then-health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa came under fire from other MPs after she dropped the tobacco and vape generational end game (GEG) provisions from the revised Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill.
She said the provision was dropped from the revised bill because the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) viewed the GEG clause as “unconstitutional”.
On Nov 15, Zaliha’s predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin accused several ministers of blocking the legislation aimed at making it illegal for those born after 2007 to buy or consume nicotine products.
Khairy, the architect of the original bill, said the current cabinet’s handling of the matter was “absolutely shambolic”.
Previously, a source in the Health Ministry told Malaysiakini that tobacco lobbyists were also exerting pressure on the government to torpedo the GEG. - Mkini
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