KUALA LUMPUR, August 3 – British American Tobacco (BAT) has launched its disposable vape product, Vuse, in Malaysia, after the government legalised e-cigarettes without any regulations.
According to the tobacco giant’s Vuse Malaysia Facebook page, Vuse GO MAX – a disposable vape device with up to 1,500 puffs retailing at RM22 – was launched in the Malaysian market last July 31.
Vuse Malaysia’s website shows seven different flavours for the Vuse GO disposable vape that has 3 per cent nicotine strength: mango, strawberry, mint, blueberry, tobacco, watermelon, and grape.
The website also stated that Vuse is available at convenience stores and petrol stations – such as 7-Eleven, myNEWS, and Shell – in the Klang Valley and Penang only.
Nationwide, BAT Malaysia’s disposable vape product is available on online shopping platforms, Shopee and Lazada.
The international tobacco company’s move to enter its vape product into the Malaysian market came after the government declassified liquid nicotine as a scheduled poison last March 31.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s action in removing liquid and gel nicotine from the Poisons List effectively legalised nicotine vape for everyone, including minors aged below 18, as there is currently no legislation or regulation regulating vape or e-cigarettes.
Despite boasting a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional unity government failed to secure passage of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 in the last Dewan Rakyat meeting.
Instead, the government referred the bill to the Health parliamentary special select committee, chaired by Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, immediately after first reading last June.
Health non-governmental organisations, led by the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC), filed suit last month to challenge the health minister’s order that gazetted the exemption of liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act 1952. Hearing is set in the High Court here for August 14.
