SEPANG: The National Fatwa Council has declared that e-cigarette and vape are 'haram (forbidden)".
Its chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin announced this after chairing a special council meeting which lasted more than two hours last night.
The decision was reached after those in the meeting had examined studies from the syariah, medical and scientific aspects as well as from the viewpoints of wastage and unhealthy culture.
"From the syariah aspect, it is detrimental to health. Islam forbids its followers from using things that can harm them directly or indirectly; immediately or gradually that can lead to death, damage the body, result in dangerous illnesses or harm the mind.
"E-cigarettea and vapes are categorised as repulsive due to its harming effects and smell bad.
"They also have an element of wastage, which is by spending money on things that are harmful and non-beneficial," he added.
He said using e-cigarette could be equated to drinking poison and smoking conventional cigarettes.
Such a decision, he said, was also made from the aspect of public interest and preventing a possibly huge and dangerous outcome.
"We are seeing women and school children showing interest in vape. The decision is made to prevent an unhealthy culture from spreading to future generations."
Abdul Shukor also urged all states that had yet to issue a fatwa on e-cigarettes and vapes to use the national fatwa council's decision as reference.
So far, four states have banned vapes, namely Penang, Kedah, Johor and Kelantan.