KUALA LUMPUR, 4th October 2024 — The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) welcomes the newly introduced Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which seeks to regulate vape products and ensure consumer safety. However, Tarmizi Anuwar, Malaysia Country Associate at the CCC, expresses concerns over whether the regulations will achieve the desired outcome of reducing smoking prevalence, as well as the potential negative consequences for consumer choice and market competition.

“While ensuring consumer safety is vital, some of the proposed regulations, such as the retail display ban and online sales ban, could inadvertently push consumers toward unregulated markets and reduce access to safer alternatives,” said Tarmizi. “Retail displays of vape products allow consumers to make informed choices by providing transparency and fostering competition. Banning these displays will not only limit consumer awareness of vaping as an alternative to smoking but may also drive them toward less regulated and potentially unsafe options.”

Tarmizi also highlighted concerns regarding the ban on online sales, noting its disproportionate impact on small businesses and rural consumers. “The e-commerce sector is crucial for entrepreneurs and smaller players to compete with larger incumbents. Restricting online sales will isolate consumers in remote areas and stifle innovation in the market. Instead of an outright ban, the government should consider a regulatory framework that permits online sales with robust age verification measures, allowing for safer consumer access and more competitive pricing.”

The CCC believes that regulations should strike a balance between protecting public health and empowering consumers to make choices that align with their needs and preferences. While the aim of Act 852 is commendable, Tarmizi urges the government to reconsider certain restrictions and focus on policies that will have a tangible impact on reducing smoking rates while promoting safer alternatives like vaping.

A study titled Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation written by Hartmann-Boyce, J et al. (2022) found that vaping helps people quit smoking. This systematic review of 78 studies involved a total of 22,052 participants and said there is definite evidence that electronic cigarettes with nicotine increase the quit rate compared to nicotine replacement therapy and moderate certainty evidence that they increase the quit rate compared to electronic cigarettes without nicotine.

“We need to adopt an alternative that is much safer and proven effective for people who want to stop smoking. We hope to see an approach that prioritizes consumer education and product transparency, ensuring that smokers are fully informed about the benefits of harm-reduction tools like vapes,” Tarmizi concluded.