KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The Ministry of Health has set up a special committee to look into the control and regulation of electronic cigarettes (e-cig) or vape.
In a report by The Sun, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the committee would be chaired by his deputy, Dr Lee Boon Chye.
The proposed committee will examine the contents of e-cig liquid refills using the provisions of the Poison Act 1952, to determine whether they have substances that affect health and should be regulated accordingly.
“I can not reveal more about this, but it involves the control over the use of this equipment,“ he said on the sidelines of the Environmental Awareness Free Smoking Practices Convention in Universiti Putra Malaysia yesterday.
“The average life expectancy of Malaysians is 75 years, which is 73 for males and 75 for women and this study shows no change in the lives of our people over the last decade compared to neighbouring countries,” said Dzulkefly during his speech at the convention.
“We don’t want citizens to die before they even reach 75 years which is called the ‘premature period’ due to diseases caused by cigarette smoke.
“We can build as many hospitals and improve health care services but if we do not maintain good health practices, it will have no meaning,“ he said.
The previous Barisan Nasional government had set up a similar committee to standardise the control measures against e-cigarettes.
