Malaysia Vape Groups Wants OTC Nicotine E-Liquid

The vape industry in Malaysia expressed support for a potential exemption of liquid nicotine from control under the Poisons Act 1952 in the government’s bid to tax e-cigarettes.

Associations representing vape and e-cigarette companies claimed that this would enable regulations to be introduced for the vape industry, according to CodeBlue.

“Continuing to subject vape products containing nicotine under the Poisons Act does not help as it is not a suitable framework and does not work for the products,” Adzwan Ab Manas, president of the Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA), said in a statement.

Currently, nicotine – except tobacco that is regulated separately under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 under the Food Act 1983 – is classified as a Group C poison under the Poisons Act that can only be dispensed by medical practitioners or pharmacists.

Dewan Perniagaan Vape Malaysia (DPVM) secretary-general Ridhwan Rosli, in a separate statement, claimed that if liquid nicotine is exempted from control under the Poisons Act, vape products can be regulated under “current legislation”. 

However, the only current law regulating vape products is the control of liquid nicotine under the Poisons Act which the government may soon eliminate.