Malaysia aims to ban vapes nationwide by mid-2026, says Health Minister

Malaysia aims to enforce a nationwide vape ban by the middle of next year, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on Thursday (Sept 25).

This will apply to both the sale and use of e-vaporiser products.

Dr Dzulkefly said that his ministry was taking a phased approach on the matter, reported The Star.

"The effort is ultimately to finally ban vapes. But I cannot pre-empt the Cabinet's decision," he said in a press conference today.

According to The Sun, he also told reporters that "the question is no longer if we ban vaping, but when".

The health minister also stated that an expert committee has provided its recommendations on the ban of vape products, which will be presented when the ministry tables the memorandum.

Dr Dzulkefly had announced in July that the country was ready to revisit banning vapes, even if it was a belated attempt.

Just a few months prior to the announcement, he had said in an interview with The Star that banning vapes without impacting their availability would be "empty legislation".

He added that regulating vaping would allow the government to "control the safety of devices and content of [vaping] liquid to make sure they adhere to standards".

On Sept 11, Dr Dzulkefly said that the health ministry was finalising a cabinet memorandum on the proposed vape ban but could not disclose details until it was further deliberated, reported New Straits Times (NST).

He had stated in a written parliamentary reply on Sept 10 that the government would impose a full ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes and vape products as part of efforts to curb their misuse.

The ban would be implemented in stages, starting with open-system vape devices and gradually extending to all vape products until the entire category was covered, he said.

The health minister had previously said that his ministry supported the decision by six states  — Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang — to not issue or renew vape sale licences, reported NST.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com