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Some time ago, the Malaysian Government banned several flavor variants of e-cigarettes sold in the market. This condition is considered to make it difficult for adult smokers to quit conventional smoking. Sharifah Ezzat Wan Puteh, from the Hospital Management and Health Economics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), stated that adult smokers would continue to smoke if no alternatives were provided.

Furthermore, recently the Malaysian Government also plans to establish regulations prohibiting smoking and tobacco possession, including e-cigarettes, for its citizens born after 2007.

Sharifah explained that with such regulations, adult smokers would not have the option to quit smoking and switch to products proven to reduce health risks, such as e-cigarettes and other ATAPs (Alternative Tobacco Products). This is because nicotine replacement therapy is less effective in helping adult smokers break their smoking habit.

"We have research papers showing that the success rate of nicotine replacement therapy (for quitting smoking) is quite bleak. Some do not succeed with nicotine replacement therapy," said Sharifah.

Unfortunately, the government disregarded the data provided by researchers when they spoke directly and presented facts about alternative tobacco products.

"In fact, this research is actually beneficial," she said.

Sharifah added that New Zealand, in contrast, takes a different approach from Malaysia. The country chooses to utilize alternative tobacco products to reduce the number of smokers and strengthen its evidence-based regulations.

In New Zealand, alternative tobacco products are not accessible to individuals under 18 years old and non-smokers. Moreover, there is a distinction in regulations between conventional combustible cigarettes and alternative tobacco.

"There are provisions regarding age limits, meaning you shouldn't provide access to children and so on. However, Malaysia imposes a total ban, which will create problems with smuggled goods in the black market, making them very cheap and easily accessible," said Sharifah.

Source: Vapemagz