The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) has responded to calls for a total ban on electronic cigarettes and vape devices following the discovery of drug-laced vape liquids, saying the issue should be treated as a narcotics enforcement matter rather than a reason for broad prohibition.
Tarmizi Anuwar, Malaysia Country Associate at the Consumer Choice Center, said, “We understand the concern raised by Tan Sri Ayob Khan. Drug-laced vape liquids are dangerous and those responsible must face firm action. But calling for a total ban is not a serious enforcement strategy. It risks turning consumers into scapegoats for enforcement failure.”
He added that the core issue lies in enforcement gaps rather than consumer behaviour, arguing that illegal supply chains should be the main focus of authorities instead of restricting legal adult users.
“If illegal actors are able to mix synthetic drugs into vape liquids and distribute them, the problem is not ordinary consumers. The problem is weak monitoring, weak product testing, weak supply-chain control, and weak action against syndicates,” he said.
The CCC also cautioned that prohibition could mirror challenges seen in other regulated products, pointing to the expansion of illicit cigarette markets in Malaysia as a warning sign that demand does not disappear under bans.
“When more than half of cigarettes consumed in the country are illicit, it shows that enforcement is already struggling. If the same approach is applied to vape, a total ban will not remove demand. It will push users into unregulated channels where contaminated products are harder to detect,” said Tarmizi.
Instead, the group called for tighter enforcement measures including product testing, licensing controls, retailer inspections and coordinated action between agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Royal Malaysia Police, Customs, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living and local authorities.
“The right questions are simple: who produced these drug-laced liquids, how did they enter the market, who distributed them, and why were they not detected earlier? These are enforcement questions. They cannot be solved by punishing consumers who are using legal products,” he said.
Tarmizi concluded that stronger enforcement, not prohibition, is the most effective way to protect public health while maintaining consumer choice.
