Malaysian Industry Wants Progressive Vaping Regulations

MVCC urges the Malaysian government to recognise Public Health England’s latest evidence report on nicotine vaping.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — The Malaysian Vaping Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) today urged the Malaysian government to recognise the latest evidence from Public Health England (PHE) on nicotine vaping and put in place a progressive regulation for the vaping industry in Malaysia.

The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) strongly believes that there are learnings that the government can take from PHE. This is especially in relation to its strategy to reduce smoking incidences in Malaysia through vaping, so consumers have access to less harmful products that have been proven to be an alternative to smoking. 

“Malaysia must acknowledge the growing evidence that shows vaping is an effective tool for getting cigarette smokers to quit and significantly lowering health risks. The recent report by Public Health of England not only reconfirmed that health risks from vaping are 95 per cent lower than traditional cigarettes, but estimated that it has helped more than 50,000 smokers in England to stop smoking cigarettes in a year,” Syed Azaudin Syed Ahmad, MVCC President said.

According to the PHE report which was carried out by researchers at King’s College London, nicotine vaping products were the most popular smoking cessation aid in England in 2020 compared to nicotine replacement therapy.

The findings by PHE further support existing studies that provides incontrovertible evidence of the importance of vaping to successful smoking cessation. 

A study by the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a prominent NGO that studies tobacco control, found that 58.9 per cent of vapers in the UK are ex-smokers, and the proportion has been growing year-on-year.

In addition, the University College of London Smoking Toolkit Study, which provides monthly data on smoking behaviour and tobacco control measures, also shows a clear link between the rate of smokers quitting and increase of vape use. 

In Malaysia, based on the findings from MVCC’s Study on the Malaysian Vaping Industry report, 94 per cent of vape users in Malaysia have a history of smoking cigarettes, and the main reasons given for choosing to vape are as a means to quit smoking cigarettes (57 per cent) and because it is less harmful compared to smoking cigarettes (56 per cent).

“In addition to being a proven effective method for smoking cessation, Malaysia must recognise the vape industry as a viable, growing sector that can contribute significantly to the local economy,”, Syed Azaudin added.

“The data from our recent report, which values the Malaysian vape industry to be RM2.27 billion, confirms that the Malaysian vaping industry has significant potential that can be unlocked with practical and comprehensive regulation.”

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