The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) will come into effect tomorrow (October 1) and is expected to bring significant benefits to public health and environment sustainability, according to Bernama sources.
Act 852, the anti-smoking law that regulates the distribution of tobacco and the smoking of tobacco or smoking sustance, covers regulations on registration, sales, packaging, labelling of cigarettes or smoking products, as well as smoking bans in public places.
Last week, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the law enforcement and increased public awareness driven by Act 852, could mitigate the problem of environment pollution.
The act forbids the sale, purchase and provision of all tobacco products and substitute products (including e-cigarette or “vape”) to minority under the age of 18 years old.
The local tobacco industry with market capitalisation reaching over RM4 billion is geared up to accommodate the new regulation.
Supermarket and convenience store retailers are concerned about the restriction on the packaged volume of vape, as well as restrictions related to counter or store display, and also sale to the legally permissible age groups.
Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) President, Datuk Adzwan Manas, told media that the association agrees with the introduction of the act and protection of minority. However, the reduction of vape e-liquid bottling and packaging to 15ml and 3ml is way below the previously-legal levels.
Industry observers noted that the new limits on vape liquids cap the volume of disposable pods and cartridges at 3ml and bottles at 15ml.
Datuk Adzwan suggested that the slash is drastic and urged the authority to implement the new ruling gradually, for instance, over a period of two years.
Some retailers estimated that potential revenue could drop as much as 40% if vape e-liquid is capped at 15ml per bottle. Currently, e-liquid can be found in bottles ranging from 30ml to 60ml.
