Taking effect on 3 August, the regulation of vaping devices precedes the imminent legalization of vape sales. It follows years of campaigning by MOVE and other Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) supporters.

The Malaysian Government has now moved to gazette the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking) of Electronic Cigarette Devices Order 2022 under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.Manufacturers and importers will need to ensure all devices are certified and labelled to show consumers that safety standards have been met and the products are safe to use. All e-liquids will need to be registered.

“This is historic news after a long-fought battle. It paves the way for a legalized market and safer products. Regulating vaping products, restricting sales to adults, and applying significant penalties to any breaches will help many more Malaysian smokers to quit deadly cigarettes,” says Samsul Kamal Ariffin, President of MOVE.

Mr Ariffin says in recent months there have been frustrating parliamentary delays in progressing the Tobacco & Smoking Control Bill – not helped by the pending general election. However, with the safety standards now gazetted, it sets in train the legalization of vapes sales.

“Regulating, not banning, vaping will not only save smokers lives it will generate much needed tax revenue for our country which is desperately needed post pandemic.

“This is not only good news for smokers and their loved ones, but every Malaysian will benefit from the extra revenue gained from vape manufacturing, importing and sales. Up until now it has been a black market with unapproved products not contributing tax and with no safety assurances,” he says.

MOVE pays tribute to the leadership of Malaysia’s Health Minister YB Khairy Jamaluddin who championed the Government’s decision to regulate the vape industry.

“The Government has done well in preparing the legislation and regulation of products deemed 95% less harmful than combustible tobacco. It fully understands that making safer nicotine products legally accessible is the only way to seriously reduce Malaysia’s unnecessarily high smoking rates,” says Mr Ariffin.

CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) agrees that Malaysia’s leadership on vaping will see the country’s smoking rates will dramatically fall.

“Malaysia will join 67 other progressive countries worldwide which have adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products. Importantly, all of them have subsequently registered a dramatic decline in smoking,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

CAPHRA says effective advocacy from Malaysian consumer groups was key to the Government’s decision last year to legalise liquid nicotine and move forward with regulation.

“We’re particularly proud of our member organisation MOVE and Samsul’s tireless advocacy over many years. The 3rd of August is worthy of a big celebration and will be well noted across the Asia Pacific region. Vaping bans fail badly – as Australia is discovering the hard way,” says Ms Loucas.

A global collaboration of THR consumer groups, sCOPe, has launched a comprehensive library of online panel discussions and presentations. In November 2021, sCOPe broadcast around the clock during COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). To access sCOPe’s online library visit, https://bit.ly/319zzkx

Boasting over 14,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit https://apthrmedia.org

“Malaysia’s Health Minister YB Khairy Jamaluddin’s decision to regulate the vape industry is forward looking and highly commendable. Things were looking good but unfortunately the speed at which this bill will be approved is now directly related to what’s going on politically in Malaysia,” says Mr Ariffin.

The President of MOVE and member of CAPHRA says the elections are proving a key distraction to Malaysia strictly regulating the safety and sale of vaping products.

“We are very disappointed that MPs are absent from Parliament, busy campaigning for state-level elections. What’s more, the vaping legislation will be further delayed if the general election gets scheduled for May this year,” he says.

Earlier this year Malaysian vape advocates and users applauded the Ministry of Health’s efforts as it moved to prepare the legislation to progress through Parliament. Now commentators are concerned that delays to the Tobacco & Smoking Control Bill could see Malaysia lose an estimated RM 1 billion in tax revenue.

Mr Ariffin says despite disappointing delays, advocates for a Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) approach are keeping their eyes on the prize. They are desperate to see the end of Malaysia’s sales ban on vaping products which has kept the country’s smoking rates unnecessarily high.

CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) says all eyes are on Malaysia. The high-profile regional advocacy group remains confident the legislation will pass and Malaysia’s smoking rates will dramatically fall.

“The Philippines vaping legalisation is just awaiting presidential approval, and even Thailand is actively investigating ways to lift its failed vaping ban. We have every confidence in Malaysia doing the right thing once the elections have passed,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

“Malaysia’s leaders know that 67 countries worldwide have now adopted regulatory frameworks on safer nicotine products and subsequently all have registered a dramatic decline in smoking. That’s a powerful proposition given smoking is rife in Malaysia and needlessly killing thousands of good people every year,” she says.

CAPHRA says considerable and effective advocacy from local consumer groups in recent years was key to the Malaysian Government’s decision last year to legalise liquid nicotine and move forward with regulation.

“When Malaysia legislates and regulates vaping it will send a big message to the world. Malaysia’s Health Minister has shown incredible leadership to date. We now await support from his parliamentary colleagues. Together they’ll save the lives of countless Malaysian smokers. What an incredible legacy that will be,” says Nancy Loucas.

A global collaboration of THR consumer groups, sCOPe, has launched a comprehensive library of online panel discussions and presentations. In November 2021, sCOPe broadcast around the clock during COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). To access sCOPe’s online library visit, https://bit.ly/319zzkx

Boasting over 14,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit https://apthrmedia.org

CAPHRA says considerable and effective advocacy from local consumer groups over recent years was key to the Government’s decision last year to legalise liquid nicotine and move forward with regulation.

Malaysian vape advocates and users also applaud the Ministry of Health’s efforts as it now prepares the new act to strictly regulate the safety and sale of vaping products.

“High product standards are critical, ensuring all vaping products sold in the open market have guaranteed safety. We also support the regulation of all online sales and advertising in line with tobacco products to protect our youth,” says Samsul Kamal Ariffin, President of MOVE (Malaysian Organization of Vape Entities) and CAPHRA member.

He says regulating vape liquids and lifting the sales ban will see Malaysia’s smoking rate fall considerably. Giving smokers much better access to harm reduced products will reduce the serious health risks and unnecessary deaths associated with combustible tobacco.

“I am proud that the Malaysian Government has pushed back on the World Health Organization’s anti-vaping agenda. As an ex-smoker, vaping has improved my health and arguably saved my life yet the WHO has pressured countries like mine to ban it. Thankfully our Government and Ministry of Health have instead listened to the many citizens like me who’ve had considerable success with vaping,” says Mr Ariffin.

Malaysia is one of the largest vape markets in the world despite nicotine long being illegal to sell except for medical purposes. With progressive vaping legislation set to be enacted and risk-proportionate regulation imminent, MOVE believes the country’s public health and international reputation will only strengthen.

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, says MOVE and other Malaysian vaping advocates have worked tirelessly with the Government and health officials to shift vaping from a heavily restricted medicalised product to being a more accessible option for smokers keen to quit.

“Despite its incredible effectiveness in reducing smoking rates and deaths, many countries in Asia-Pacific still insist on banning vaping. Malaysia’s pending legislation and regulation will send a big message to the world that vaping is the future, not a foe,” says Nancy Loucas.

A new global collaboration of THR consumer groups, sCOPe, has now launched a comprehensive library of online panel discussions and presentations. In November, sCOPe broadcast around the clock during COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). To access sCOPe’s online library visit, https://bit.ly/319zzkx

Boasting nearly 15,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit https://apthrmedia.org

“We salute his bravery at COP9 for promoting the Philippines’ balanced and evidence-based approach to safer nicotine products,” says Peter Dator, president of consumer group Vapers PH and CAPHRA member. “Opponents and officials have since done their best to discredit Secretary Locsin and disrespect our country’s democracy and sovereignty, but they have failed badly.”

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates), says it’s pleasing to see top Filipino politicians rally around Secretary Locsin, with the global vaping community also voicing its strong support via social media.

“In a world where smoking causes eight million deaths every year, Secretary Locsin has done everyone a huge favour. Telling COP9 about the success of ‘far less harmful novel tobacco products’ and the Philippine Government’s political support for them was music to the ears of the millions who’ve successful quit deadly cigarettes, via vaping,” she says.

During COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – Ms Loucas organised a global livestream, featuring world-leading THR experts and consumer advocates.

Dubbed sCOPe, the five-day YouTube simulcast attracted a significant audience globally, adding to the increasing pressure on the WHO to embrace safer nicotine products, rather than pushing to ban them.

“How can we trust the WHO and the FCTC when they are afraid of science? In this age of fake news and alternative facts, it is important for governments to take a stand for the facts and know how to sift through the propaganda. This is what Secretary Locsin did at COP9, and I join the Philippine Cabinet and Congress in commending his actions,” says Mr Dator.

To view Mr Dator’s message to COP9 delegates visit: https://youtu.be/g0pYPmRXxM8

Secretary Locsin’s speech at COP9 and other key moments will be analysed during a post-sCOPe wrap-up and discussion. sCOPe’s COP9 awards will also announced. It will be broadcast at https://bit.ly/30v701b from 6pm (Hong Kong Time) or 10am (GMT) on Wednesday, 17 November.

CAPHRA is calling on those who’ve quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org, and add to the more than 14,000 testimonials available.

For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit

Dubbed sCOPe, the YouTube simulcast will focus on COP9, the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Despite being shut out of COP9, vapers have vowed they will not be silenced.

Featuring world-leading Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) experts and consumer advocates, sCOPe will challenge COP9 and scrutinize who’s influencing the WHO’s efforts to demonize safer alternatives, and why.

sCOPe will be simulcast on YouTube at https://bit.ly/3aWBPxi and on Facebook from 12.00pm Hong Kong Time / 4.00am GMT on Monday, 8 November until midnight (HKT) Friday, 12 November.

Monday’s schedule (HKT):

12.00pm – CAPHRA What is Tobacco Harm Reduction – Short Film (English)

1.00pm – CAPHRA Panel Discussion – Colin Mendelsohn, MD, Expert (English)

4.00pm – ECST ENDS Cigarette Smoking Thailand Discussion (Thai)

5.00pm – COREISS Marewa Glover, PhD Presentation (English)

6.00pm – Vapers PH Philippines Discussion (Filipino)

9.00pm – MOVE/HRA MOVE (Malaysia) Discussion (Bahasa)

11.00pm – INNCO Panel with Jeff Zamora – (English)

sCOPe organiser, Nancy Loucas:

“For five days and nights, our global livestream will prove that the WHO’s position against safer nicotine products is untenable. Every adult has the right to choose safer options. It’s now time for COP9 delegates to stand up and speak out,” she says.

Samsul Kamal Ariffin, President of MOVE (Malaysian Organization of Vape Entities), and sCOPe panellist:

“As an ex-smoker, vaping has improved my health and arguably saved my life, yet outrageously, the WHO continues to pressure countries to ban it,” he says.

The latest episode of The Advocates Voice (TAV 8) follows the World Health Organization (WHO) releasing its eighth annual report on the global tobacco epidemic last month.

TAV 8 will premiere at 4pm Hong Kong Time / 9am GMT on Sunday, 15 August.

CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) says the WHO’s latest attack on safer nicotine products, driven and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, deserves the global ridicule it has attracted.

With the call ‘we need to get louder’ and ‘we are the evidence’, TAV 8 will kick off with a passionate video presentation. Featuring leading Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) experts and advocates, a panel discussion will follow.

TAV 8 will include Founding Chairman of ATHRA (Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association) Dr Colin Mendelsohn. He will talk about the looming restrictions for Australian vapers. From 1 October, it will be illegal for anyone to import nicotine for personal use without a prescription from a medical doctor, with penalties up to $222,000.

As a medical doctor who works full-time in tobacco treatment, Dr Mendelsohn will discuss the regulation’s likely impact on Australian smokers and vapers, and if pro-vaping new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce can change anything.

TAV 8 will provide THR public policy updates on what is happening in Malaysia and Mexico. It will also announce the launch of a new global advocacy initiative which encourages personal stories from around the world.

Led by Nancy Loucas, the TAV 8 panel will include Asia Pacific THR consumer advocates: Peter Paul Dator from the Philippines (Director of Vapers PH), Asa Saligupta (Director of ECST – ENDs Cigarette Smoke Thailand) and Samsul Kamal Ariffin (President of MOVE – Malaysian Organization of Vape Entities).

The discussion will centre around the impacts of the WHO report on consumers and what can, and should be, done to counter the misinformation narrative.

It will be simulcast on CAPHRA’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caphraorg and YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3fvNF4m. Questions from viewers to the panel are encouraged.

“Consumer advocates are increasingly angry that the WHO continues to promote its baseless and incredibly destructive view on vaping. It comes despite leading scientific evidence confirming vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and is the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool,” she says.

Nancy Loucas says the WHO seems determined to destroy the one version of harm reduction that has potential to reduce illness and save lives globally.

“The very organization charged with looking after our health continues to ramp up its efforts to deny people who smoke access to products that give them the chance to have a long and healthy life,” she says.

TAV 8 will also be encouraging viewers to sign the Right2Switch petition at change.org/v4v-petition. It urges the WHO to respect consumer rights and to stop demonizing Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of the next biennial meeting of the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in November.

To view the TAV 8 promotional video, visit https://youtu.be/QA-gVLWGcsk

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) issued the statement in support of a report released by the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) that tobacco harm reduction (THR) alternatives like e-cigarettes and HTPs would help, and not hinder, the aims of global tobacco control.

“The recommendation by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) for blanket ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems and HTPs in LMICs is ill-conceived, prejudicial to LMIC consumers and detrimental to public health,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

The Union, a Bloomberg partner for ‘The Initiative to reduce tobacco use’, published its fourth position statement on e-cigarettes last year which called for a blanket ban on all electronic nicotine delivery systems and HTPs in LMICs.

INNCO, a global member association that advocates for tobacco harm reduction and proportionate regulation of low-risk alternative nicotine products, criticized The Union report, saying the move to ban harm reduction products should be evaluated carefully.

It cited 10 reasons why blanket bans of e-cigarettes and HTPs in LMICs would do more harm than good. “Such bans will mean that more people will keep using cigarettes, or obtain alternative products through illicit markets with no safeguards,” it said.

Such bans are an overly simplistic solution to a complex issue and will not work, according to INNCO.  It said the smoking problem is a complex issue that is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, causing more than 8 million deaths per year.

It said the MPOWER strategies crafted by the World Health Organization proved unworkable in many LMICs due to lack of access to smoking cessation services and other resources. “In this context, it is clear that pragmatic approaches are needed, including the availability of a wide selection of products proven to reduce harm,” INNCO said.

Samrat Chowdhery, president of INNCO, said The Union’s assertion that LMICs do not have the regulatory capacity to manage and oversee a market of ENDS and HTPs was simply wrong and condescending.

“LMICs are composed of complex and highly-diverse societies, and a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach such as a blanket ban would be ill-advised.  I believe that a blanket ban on alternative products will not improve the situation.  In fact, I believe it will actually worsen it,” said Chowdhery, who is from India, an LMIC with diverse cultures.

Samsul Arrifin, president of Malaysian Organisation of Vape Entities (MOVE), agreed, saying that “any move to deprive smokers and consumers of better alternatives to cigarettes such as vapes would only contribute the problem that is seeks to address.’

INNCO said prioritizing the banning of reduced harm alternatives over cigarettes is also illogical.  It said that by denying smokers access to a much safer alternative while leaving cigarettes on the market, policymakers would leave only two options on the table – quit or die.

It also said that reduction and substitution are valid goals for smokers in LMICs as replacing combustible tobacco with alternative nicotine products can significantly reduce risk of harm by at least 95 percent.

INNCO said smokers should be given the right to choose their own path to better health. “By removing reduced harm alternatives from the market—while leaving the significantly more dangerous cigarettes available—countries would remove this right from the individual,” it said.

It said reduced harm alternatives can significantly contribute to the aims of global tobacco control, with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) itself recognizing ‘harm reduction’ as a key strategy in tobacco control.

The INNCO report said lack of research in LMICs should not be a valid reason to ban reduced harm alternatives. It said that while more research needs to be conducted in LMICs on tobacco control and specifically harm reduction measures, governments should not deny people living in poor and developing countries access to potentially life-saving products in the meantime.

It also said that the prohibitionist approach in LMICs is outdated, unrealistic and condescending.  INNCO said such discriminatory policies serve to further increase health inequalities between high-income countries and LMICs.

Jagannath Sarangapani, director of Association of Vapers India (AVI), agreed with the INNCO’s observation that bans in LMICs would only lead to illicit markets.  “In India and Thailand, the bans on e-cigarettes created an underground industry of these products, with no product regulation and taxation.”

INNCO also said banning reduced harm alternatives would only lead people back to smoking and greater harm. It said blanket bans in LMICs are a form of ‘philanthropic colonialism’.

Peter Paul Dator of Vapers Philippines said this is the same issue hounding the Philippines, after the local Food and Drug Administration confirmed in a congressional investigation it received thousands of dollars from anti-tobacco group The Union to craft guidelines on vaping. “The Philippine Congress passed laws to regulate, instead of ban these products.  Unfortunately, the FDA passed guidelines that restrict the availability of e-cigarettes and HTPs,” Dator said.

INNCO said global organizations such as the WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Union wield great influence in LMICs through sponsorship of healthcare programs and public initiatives.

“We believe that awareness of and access to reduced-harm products is a fundamental human right, and that denial of this right will prevent significant health benefits in LMICs,” INNCO said.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]