The Advanced Centre for Advocacy for Addiction Treatment Malaysia (ACATA) said it disagreed with the government's move to ban less harmful alternatives, including e-cigarettes.

President Dr Arifin Fii said while it was encouraging to see the government committed to reducing smoking rates in the country, a blanket, blanket ban, including harm reduction products such as e-cigarettes, would be counterproductive.

Dr Ariffin said the tobacco epidemic is one of the world's greatest public health threats, killing more than 8 million people each year, including about 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke.

It kills 27,200 Malaysians every year.

"The stagnant smoking rate in Malaysia requires a more realistic solution to the country's smoking problem. Misinformation and inaccurate theories will certainly not improve, let alone solve the problem," he said in a statement today. said in.

Dr Arifin said there was substantial and credible evidence that vaping products were far less harmful than smoking.

“Evidence also shows that e-cigarettes are effective in helping smokers quit. In addition, studies show that the proportion of never-smokers who use e-cigarettes is very small. This is especially true in Malaysia,” he said.

A 2020 local study found that only 0.6% of non-smokers use e-cigarettes, debunking the fact that e-cigarettes are attracting new users.

As such, Dr Arifin said it was highly incomprehensible that the government would take such a counterproductive measure that would prevent current smokers from using e-cigarettes, a less harmful alternative to smoking that kills the vast majority of people.

He said the move sends the wrong message to current smokers, as the government describes e-cigarettes as just as harmful as traditional cigarettes without any distinction.

“A ban on less harmful alternatives, including e-cigarettes, will render them unusable, making it harder for current smokers to quit. As a result, smoking rates in Malaysia will continue to stagnate, if not grow, over the next decade. "

"ACATA believes it is important that all stakeholders work together to develop an appropriate regulatory approach that provides consumers who are likely to continue smoking with access and confidence to use less harmful products," said Dr. Arifin.