Sarawak drafts a strict law to ban vape and e-cigarette sales and use, now awaiting enforcement agency consultations.
KUCHING: A law has already been drafted in Sarawak to ban the sale and use of vaping devices and electronic cigarettes.
The draft legislation has been presented to the State Cabinet for approval, said Minister for Women, Community Wellbeing and Family Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“My ministry has already drafted this strict law.
“The State Cabinet has agreed in principle to the new law, but it wants my ministry to consult the enforcement agencies first.
“We are now consulting the police, the State Health Department, local authorities and other stakeholders.
“We have decided that a total ban is necessary.
“The ban will be enforced in stages.
“We will implement this ban across Sarawak in phases,” she said during a children’s cancer awareness event in Kuching.
Fatimah said her ministry had identified key areas of concern, which showed that vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes had become increasingly widespread, including among students and young people.
According to previous reports, most teenage vapers in Sarawak are aged between 13 and 17.
On cancer cases, Fatimah said the state health authorities and non-governmental organisations, such as the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society, are working hard to help cancer patients.
Her ministry supports their efforts and will assist them in facilitating educational awareness programmes on cancer prevention and management, she added.
