LAST month, the government sent the Tobacco Product and Smoking Control Bill back to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for further review.
The committee will look into ways to regulate not just conventional cigarettes but also tobacco alternatives like vaping.
This is a move in the right direction, considering vaping has become increasingly popular in Malaysia. The government can also learn from other countries on how to regulate vaping.
A vaping epidemic among adolescents has forced some countries to impose strict enforcement on the production, sale and use of e-cigarettes.
Thailand, Singapore, India, Iran, Taiwan, Brazil and Argentina have banned e-cigarettes. Hefty fines are imposed on tourists who bring in e-cigarettes. But do bans always work? Not necessarily.
Although Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa against the use of tobacco products, its black market has seen an estimated 300 per cent rise in the mark-up on cigarettes and hookah products.
The Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment officially banned the sales of e-cigarettes or vaping products in September 2015. However, there is no explicit law banning vaping.
In May this year, Saudi's Public Investment Fund instead set up the Badael Company to develop and manufacture tobacco-free nicotine delivery products in the kingdom by year-end.
Badael's products are expected to help nearly one million people (or 25 per cent of all smokers) switch from smoking by 2032.
China and some states in the United States have banned flavoured vapes, such as bubble gum and fruits, that would attract minors.
China has also imposed a sales ban on e-cigarettes on e-commerce sites, as well as on live-streaming platforms, which are deemed alluring to minors. Despite the ban, e-cigarettes are still accessible to minors.
Meanwhile, the British government encouraged conventional cigarette smokers to swap to a less deadly habit under the "swap to stop" scheme. Smokers are given vape device starter kits and support to help them quit smoking.
The United Kingdom is also offering financial incentives and clinical support for pregnant women to switch to vaping. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the government will form an "illicit vape enforcement squad" to raid vape stores that sell the devices to minors.
Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland allow the sale of vapes, but they strictly regulate such devices by banning them from being advertised. South Korea, on the other hand, imposes high taxes on e-cigarette products, but that has not stopped its youth from vaping.
Australia and New Zealand are planning to ban disposable vapes, although the sales of vapes are restricted to pharmacies and can only be bought with a prescription in Australia.
Australian authorities remain committed to the idea that e-cigarettes function as tools for smokers to quit.
The Philippines was the first country in Asia to enact legislation that distinguishes combustible tobacco products from those that do not burn, that is, vaporised nicotine and non-vaporised nicotine products.
The Vaporised Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act allows the Philippine government to regulate the importation, sales, manufacturing, packaging, distribution and use of vaping products.
Manila forces vape manufacturers to register with the authorities and prohibits colourful packaging with various flavours from being sold in the republic. Vapes and vape stores must not operate within 100m of schools.
At the end of the day, global regulations are becoming increasingly ineffective in preventing the young from picking up the bad habit.
The energies of government, media and civil society would be better directed at education and providing factual information on the perils of vaping than punitive actions like bans.
LIU HAI KUOK
Johor Baru, Johor
