Malaysia's e-cigarette organization responds to 2Firsts: Cartridge style e-cigarettes may be banned, and tobacco products are not allowed to be publicly displayed

Malaysia's e-cigarette organization responds to 2Firsts: 'Cartridge style' e-cigarettes may be banned, and tobacco products are not allowed to be publicly displayed

The chairman of the Malaysian e-cigarette industry advocacy group, Rezani, revealed to two top two firsts that the Ministry of Health has emphasized the need to implement restrictions on e-liquid content as soon as possible, and requires stores selling tobacco and e-cigarette products to prominently display signs that read "selling e-cigarettes or tobacco products here", while also prohibiting the public display of related products.

Since the Malaysian Ministry of Health announced the official implementation of the Public Health Smoking Products Control Act 2024 (Act 852) on October 1, two of the top two firsts have closely monitored market trends in Malaysia and maintained close contact with local e-cigarette organizations (the Malaysian e-cigarette organization replied to 2Firsts: the e-liquid capacity of closed products will be reduced to 2 milliliters in two years, and relevant documents have not yet been released).

 

Regarding the latest developments in Malaysia's tobacco control regulations, Rizani bin Zakaria, Chairman of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Advocacy Organization (MVIA), revealed to two top firsts that the Ministry of Health recently held a conference on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) for participants in the e-cigarette industry, giving a briefing on Bill 852.

 

Rezani told Two Up First that the Ministry of Health emphasized at the meeting that restrictions on e-liquid content will be implemented as soon as possible, but there is currently no specific implementation time. At the same time, it is required that stores selling tobacco and electronic cigarette products must prominently post the label "Electronic cigarettes or tobacco sold here", and it is also prohibited to publicly display related products.

 

It is understood that the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a legally binding treaty aimed at improving public health by addressing tobacco epidemics, and Malaysia is one of its member countries. This conference is organized by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, with the theme of discussing Act 852 and its related regulations for electronic cigarette/electronic water cigarette shop operators.

 

Rezani told two top 2Firsts that the meeting mainly discussed the following topics:

 

Electronic cigarette products are not allowed to have fancy designs, such as large mouthed disposable electronic cigarettes and designs that attract children.
Bottled e-liquid is only allowed to have a capacity of 15 milliliters. The e-liquid content of electronic cigarette products is limited to 2 milliliters to 3 milliliters.
The registration cost for each flavor is as high as 5000 ringgit (approximately $1200).
Electronic cigarette stores or any stores selling tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are no longer allowed to publicly display their products. All products must be closed to the public and only display stickers that read 'Electronic cigarettes or tobacco are sold here'.
Electronic cigarettes cannot be sold in food trucks, street markets, or similar open spaces.
New restricted areas have been established for smoking and electronic cigarettes, with 28 areas and venues designated as non-smoking zones. People who smoke or vape within the area may be fined up to 5000 ringgit (approximately $1200).
All electronic cigarettes involving e-liquid must be registered with the Ministry of Health and tested by certified laboratories to obtain safety approval.
All costs, time, and deadlines will be announced after the meeting.

 

Two of the top 2 firsts noticed that among the products mentioned by Rezani that were banned due to their overly flashy designs, there was the highly popular "cartridge style" electronic cigarette in the Malaysian market. Previously, during two visits to the Malaysian market by Up to 2Firls (market research in Malaysia shows that the large mouthed interchangeable cartridge is the mainstream Vape Unplug and the hottest product), several retail store employees mentioned that ASDF's Vape Unplug is the best-selling product. This product looks like a cassette tape.

 

When it comes to "cartridge style" electronic cigarette products, Rezani also stated that although "cartridge style" electronic cigarettes are very popular, they are now going to be banned.

Prohibited products showcased at FCTC conference | Image source: Rizani

Regarding the new tobacco control regulations formulated by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, Rezani stated:

 

Practitioners in the e-cigarette industry are very pleased with the government's approval of legal operations. However, there are still some factors that make it difficult for the e-cigarette industry to comply with relevant regulations. For example, the registration cost for each flavor is as high as 5000 ringgit (approximately $1200), in addition to laboratory testing costs and taxes

 

For the industry, the cost of following these regulations is indeed high. We hope the government can provide some space for all e-cigarette brands or shop owners to start compliant operations at the lowest cost

 

We demand very little, but they (the Ministry of Health) may not make any changes"