Johor, Malaysia, turns the smoking clock back

Many vapers in the Malaysian state of Johor are switching to smoking pipes and hand-rolled cigarettes in the run-up to the state-wide ban on vaping products that is due to take effect in under two weeks time, according to a story in The Star.

One person quoted in the story, J. Jay Naidu, said that he had decided to swap vaping for pipe smoking after Johor’s ruler, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, ordered a ban on the sale of vaping products in Johor from January 1.

“I was a heavy cigarette smoker before starting to vape but I do not want to start smoking cigarettes again,” he said.

“A friend introduced me to pipe smoking and with the assorted flavours available, I am keen on trying.”

googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1392882089877-0′); Jay said it took him about a week to get used to smoking a pipe, which he described as “a better alternative to cigarettes or even vape”.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Rizal Syukri, 43, said that he had bought a cigarette-rolling machine because it offered a cheaper way of indulging in his habit.

“From January it would be difficult for vapers to get stocks on flavourings, so I opted to roll my own cigarettes,” he said. “Prices of cigarettes are just too high now, with most brands selling at RM17 for a packet of 20.”

Ahmad Rizal said also that some of his friends had resorted to buying cigarettes smuggled from Indonesia, which were available in some shops.