ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor has maintained its ban on vape and electronic cigarette sales.
Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said no licences for the sale of vape, vape liquids, and e-cigarettes have been issued since 2016.
"Until today, no local council in Johor has issued a licence to sell vape and electronic cigarettes," he told a press conference at the Johor State Legislative Assembly.
On Jan 1, 2016, Johor enforced a ban on vape and electronic cigarettes in line with a decree from the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
Last week, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government will continue to regulate vaping through the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act, which came into force on Oct 1.
He added that the government has no plans to ban vaping at a national level, though state governments are free to decide on policies relating to vaping, including banning its sale via local councils.
Previously, the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, called for an outright ban on vaping following a concerning rise in drug addiction cases in Pahang.
He said that smoking and vaping were often the starting points for drug abuse.