Smoking in Malaysia
There has been a downwards trend in current smoking prevalence in the general population in Malaysia. Smoking prevalence was 29% in 2000 and declined to 22% in 2015, with a further drop to 19% projected by 2025. For men the prevalence decreased from 54% in 2000 to 44% in 2015, with a further decrease to 38% projected by 2025. For women a low prevalence of 3% in 2000 decreased to 1% in 2015, and is projected to decrease further to 0.5% by 2025. The WHO published prevalence trend estimates in tobacco smoking, as shown here, in their 2018 2nd edition report, which show slightly different smoking prevalence to the WHO country profiles. Data for the estimates were obtained from WHO databases. The trend lines are projections, not predictions, of future attainment. A projection indicates a likely endpoint if the country maintains its tobacco control efforts at the same level that it has implemented them to date. Therefore the impact of recent interventions could alter the expected endpoint shown in the projection. While the methods of estimation used in the first and second editions of the WHO report are the same, the volume of data available for the second edition is larger i.e. 200 more national surveys. The results presented are therefore more robust.
Read articles from Malaysia
November 21, 2023 by thestar.com.my
Regulate vape, e-cigarettes immediately, says Hannah Yeoh
Vape and electronic cigarettes must be regulated immediately through future rules, says Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She said this is important not only for athletes but also for the community at large. Yeoh told the Dewan Rakyat that her ministry had gazetted complexes under its purview to be free of cigarette smoking and vaping. “This is in consideration of other existing tobacco control legislations stating that smoking is restricted in stadiums and sports areas,” she said during her ministry’s winding-up speech at the committee level on Tuesday (Nov 21).
November 07, 2023 by malaymail.com
MMA urges parents to sue govt if their children below 18 are harmed by e-cigarettes or vaping
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has encouraged parents of children below 18-years-old harmed by e-cigarettes or vaping to consider taking legal action against the government. [...] “We urge parents of children below 18 whose health had been affected as a result of consuming e-cigarettes or vaping products, to consider taking legal action against the government for ignoring expert advice and for failing in its duties to adequately protect citizens, especially young children against the health dangers of vaping,” Dr Azizan said.
October 10, 2023 by galencentre.org
Why Are Ministers And MPs Silent On Liquid Nicotine Delisting? – Prof Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
The delisting of liquid nicotine is morally dehumanising and Islamically wrong! The health minister is now facing a lawsuit brought against her by the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Council (MCTC), the Malaysian Green Lung Association (MGLA), and Voice of the Children (VOC) over the delisting of liquid and gel nicotine used in e-cigarettes and vaporisers as a scheduled poison from the Poisons Act, 1952.
September 08, 2023 by freemalaysiatoday.com
NGOs fail in bid to stay delisting of liquid nicotine
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has rejected the bid by anti-tobacco and child rights interest groups to stay the declassification of liquid nicotine as a scheduled poison. The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, the Malaysian Green Lung Association, and Voice of the Children had sought a judicial review to quash the removal of liquid and gel nicotine from control under the Poisons Act 1952, gazetted by the health minister in an exemption order on March 31. According to CodeBlue, Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said the applicants needed to demonstrate special circumstances to justify the stay of the exemption order.
August 30, 2023 by malaymail.com
Penang consumer group push for ban on vape, e-cigarettes
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) today urged the government to ban vape and e-cigarettes amid continued debate over a move that aims to end the habit among future generations of Malaysians. CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said there are now two million vape smokers in the country. “According to the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022, Malaysian teens aged 13 to 17 using e-cigarettes and vape rose from 9.8 per cent in 2017 to 14.9 per cent in 2022,” he said in a press conference at the CAP office here.
August 21, 2023 by straitstimes.com
NST Leader: Of Vaping and Popcorn Lungs
In a letter written to this newspaper, Sunway University disclosed that it had analysed 10 vape liquid brands and found that 70 per cent of them contained higher amounts of propylene glycol than what their labels stated.
What's worse, 80 per cent of the tested samples had traces of ammonia, a chemical present in products such as fertilisers, hair dyes and plastics. One clear indication that our regulators are not doing their job.
Medical professionals say prolonged exposure to such harmful chemicals will cause lung-related diseases, such as popcorn lungs and cancer, and even death.
There has been no record of vaping-related deaths in Malaysia, but (...)
July 21, 2023 by galencentre.org
Regulating Vape: What Malaysia Can Learn From Other Countries – Liu Hai Kuok
In June, the government sent the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 back to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for further review. Among others, the committee will look into ways to regulate not just conventional cigarettes, but also tobacco alternatives like vapes. This is a move in the right direction, considering vaping has become increasingly popular in Malaysia. The Madani government can learn from other countries on how to regulate vaping.
July 18, 2023 by galencentre.org
‘CBD’ Vapes Mushroom On Malaysian Facebook And Telegram
Advertising and sale of vape liquids, supposedly with cannabidiol (CBD), proliferate in Malaysian groups on Facebook and Telegram, even though cannabis derivatives are illegal under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. The widespread online distribution of e-liquids with so-called “CBD” – a marijuana compound that does not cause a high – complicates efforts by police authorities to crack down on adulterated e-cigarettes, especially after the federal health regulator, the Ministry of Health (MOH), removed liquid nicotine from control under the Poisons Act 1952.
July 13, 2023 by SAYS
WHO: One Billion People Will Continue To Smoke By 2025. Here's What You Need To Know
[...] on a global scale, the World Health Organisation (WHO) projects that a billion people will continue to smoke by 2025. In light of these worrying numbers, governments around the world have been taking various measures to tackle this persisting issue. From smoking cessation programmes to awareness campaigns, these efforts are carried out to help smokers kick the habit once and for all.
With all these ongoing developments, the concept of tobacco harm reduction is becoming an option for countries looking to reduce the prevalence of smoking
June 26, 2023 by galencentre.org
Minister Tells Parents To Protect Children From Vape After Liquid Nicotine Delisted
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has put the onus on parents to protect their children from e-cigarettes and vape, after the government declassified liquid nicotine for taxation purposes.
Dr Zaliha also admitted the existence of a “lacuna” in the law following the removal of liquid and gel nicotine from control under the Poisons Act 1952 – which she herself had gazetted last March 31 – that legalises the sale of vape and e-cigarettes with nicotine to minors aged below 18. “MOH also calls on parents to be more vigilant to ensure the safety of their children and to not expose their children to risky activities, such as smoking and using e-cigarettes or vape. [...]