Malaysia has estimated 1 million vapers

There are  1 million vapers in Malaysia, according to an article in Gulf News.

“The business is growing very fast because there are many people trying to convert from tobacco smoking to vaping,” according to the region’s largest retailer’s, Vape Empire, co-founder Muhammad Sharifuddin Esa, adding that his business has expanded to 57 locations since it opened just two years ago.

“Vaping” is soaring in popularity in Malaysia, the largest e-cigarette market in the Asia-Pacific region, but authorities are threatening to ban the habit for health reasons – a move that has sparked anger from growing legions of aficionados.

Backing a ban, Malaysian religious leaders this month declared a fatwa on the “un-Islamic” habit, but it remains to be seen whether the decree will dampen enthusiasm.

Another growing concern for the region’s vapers is the influx of do-it-yourself e-liquids into the market. A growing number of amateur merchants have emerged across the country, where about a million people smoke e-cigarettes, a five-fold surge since last year, according to the Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) activist group.