KUALA LUMPUR: The move to impose an excise tax on the sale of vape liquids or gels is one of the moderate approaches taken by the government to regulate smoking products containing nicotine and stop the smoking habit among people in this country, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said at the same time, the government remained firm in prohibiting smoking in places such as schools and Parliament apart from increasing the advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, especially among young people.
“Taking quite extreme measures by banning vape, nicotine or cigarettes, is quite drastic and cannot be done by any country in the world. Many choose to smoke even despite the various campaigns done.
“While we are running a campaign about the negative effects of smoking, we also continue implementing this taxation (measure) just to prevent the substances from becoming widely available and cheap.
“I’m aware that all health and professional bodies, without exception, are strongly opposing (the decision to remove nicotine liquids and gels from the scheduled list of controlled substances in the Poisons Act 1952).
“But, as far as the government is concerned, at the moment, it is difficult for us to ban, but we can increase public awareness so that the people will choose (not to smoke),” he said during Minister’s Question Time today. – Bernama
