SHAH ALAM: Selangor is likely to follow the footsteps of Penang, Kedah, Johor and Kelantan which have banned vaping as the health and social implications of vaping and e-juice are found to be overwhelmingly negative.
However, at the moment, state executive councillor in charge of Health, Welfare, Women and Family Affairs Dr Daroyah Alwi said Selangor would allow the sale and use of vape devices until a formal decision is announced on Jan 13 by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
"Based on the recommendation made by Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and the conclusion reached by muftis nationwide during a meeting on Dec 21, the state government and the Selangor mufti may make the same decision as taken by the National Fatwa Council.
"For now the situation is status quo," she told reporters at a press conference after attending a briefing by the Selangor Health Department, here, today.
Also present at the first meeting on vaping in Selangor were representatives from local councils' licensing and enforcement departments, Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais), Selangor Mufti Office, state Education Department and state legal advisor, among others.
The meeting is a prelude to the workshop on vape scheduled to be held from Jan 11 to 12, after which, the state government would make their stand.
Dr Daroyah said they were given a comprehensive briefing by the Health Department and the most worrying aspect brought up was the dangers of e-juice, apart from the increasing popularity of vaping among teenagers and even school children.
"There are many components that can be added into the vape juice although the basic components of propylene glycol, glycerine, distilled water and flavour seem 'innocent', there are also nicotine concentrate which is addictive and additives which could be anything including drugs, and this is what we are scared of," she said.
Dr Daroyah said there was a case in the United States where a child died after accidentally consuming e-juice.
"For adults, consuming 60mg of nicotine will be fatal while for children, six miligrammes is enough to kill," she said.
She pointed out that there was a misconception that vape was safer than cigarettes but this was not true as the nicotine content and additives added into e-juice were unknown.
"Sharing e-cigarettes or vaping devices can also spread communicable diseases transmitted via saliva like herpes, hepatitis and HIV. We were also informed that 60 types of carcinogens which can cause cancer have been detected in the vapour of e-cigarettes," she said.
For now, the local councils have been asked to freeze the issuance of new licenses to vape entrepreneurs.
So far, 69 licenses have been issued by local councils including 30 temporary licenses to vape entrepreneurs around Selangor.