KUALA LUMPUR: Health Ministry is mulling to amend the Food Act 1983 to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to those aged 18 and below, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the definition of vape (from e-cigarette) could be included in the Act to regulate the selling of the flavours as well as to restrict the use of e-cigarettes at certain areas.
Section 13 of the Act states that any person who prepares or sells any food that has in or upon it any substance which is poisonous, harmful or otherwise injurious to health commits an offence and shall be liable to a maximum fine of RM100,000 and 10 years imprisonment.
"They include air-conditioned areas, hotels and rest areas in highways. The ministry, through a recently set-up committee chaired by its director-general is studying the effects of e-cigarettes. As it is a new phenomena, we have to look at experience of other countries and study health journals by World Health Organisation and US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
"Although it was reported that it was a safer alternative to cigarette, we don't know the effect of e-cigarettes in the long run. But we know that the vapour that we inhale will definitely have bad effects on the lungs.
"E-cigarette is divided into two components - device and cartridge, which the latter contains addictive substance nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, formaldehyde (carcinogenic substance used for embalmment) and flavour.
"We are also discussing with other ministries to study suitable laws in regulating e-cigarette. There is an estimated 1 million vapers in Malaysia," he said in reply to a question by Datuk Liang Teck Meng (BN-Simpang Renggam).
On Liang's proposal to issue licence to individuals other than pharmacists to sell e-cigarettes, Dr Hilmi said he would bring the matter to the committee.