British American Tobacco (BAT) Malaysia has urged the health ministry to include industry players in developing appropriate regulations for vape products.
This comes in light of the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill that is slated to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next week.
Last Friday, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the ministry had engaged with many parties on the draft bill, including the vape industry.
However, BAT Malaysia said other industry players should also be included in these discussions. It did not name these “other players”.
“We call on the ministry to include industry players in the overall consultation process in developing appropriate regulations for vape products,” BAT Malaysia managing director Nedal Salem said in a statement.
He added that there were more arguments against introducing a generational endgame to smoking than those in favour.
BAT Malaysia said tobacco harm reduction was the most effective way to reduce the health impact of smoking without fuelling the growth of the tobacco black market.
“Tobacco harm reduction” includes the use of alternative nicotine delivery products such as e-cigarettes.
BAT Malaysia called for the ministry to pursue a science-based regulatory framework, based on policies practised in New Zealand and the UK, where vaping is acknowledged as significantly less harmful and a viable alternative to reducing smoking prevalence.
If approved, the bill would not only prohibit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco, but also vape products to anyone born after 2005.
Free Malaysia Today – 2022-07-25
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