MalayMail-Sept 26
Do you sell vape products or e-cigarettes to children? Beware, from October 1 onwards, a new law will make this a crime in Malaysia and can even land you in jail.
What you need to know about the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024: Don’t sell cigarettes or vape products to anyone below 18; children who buy vaping products will be breaking the law; the health minister can gazette and declare any building, place, area or vehicle — which can be accessed by the public — as a non-smoking area. There are multiple other crimes in this new law, including promoting e-cigarettes to customers by saying they can use it to “quit smoking”. Then there are also the crimes of selling smoking products to retail customers without following the minimum selling price or conditions set by the Health Ministry; and not following the Health Ministry’s requirements for the packaging and labelling of smoking products. Depending on the offence and whether you are a first-time offender or repeat offender, individuals who break this new law may face maximum fines ranging from RM10,000 to RM30,000 and maximum jail time ranging from one to two years, or both fine and jail. Similarly, depending on the number of times an offence is committed, companies may face maximum fines ranging from RM10,000 to RM300,000, and maximum jail time ranging from one to three years, or both fine and jail. Finally, Malaysia has a law that clearly regulates vape products/ e-cigarettes and their liquids or gels. This new law closes the loophole where e-cigarettes and vape products could be freely sold and promoted (including to children).
