Malaysia
Vaping is soaring in popularity in Malaysia, the largest e-cigarette market in the Asia-Pacific region, but authorities are threatening to ban the habit for health reasons – a move that has sparked anger from growing legions of aficionados.
The pastime has proved a particular hit in the moderate, Muslim-majority nation, where other vices such as alcohol and drugs are especially frowned upon. Backing the ban, Malaysian religious leaders this month declared a fatwa on the “un-Islamic” habit, but it remains to be seen whether the decree will dampen enthusiasm. According to Vape Empire’s co-founder Muhammad Sharifuddin Esa, his business has expanded to 57 locations since it opened just two years ago. “The business is growing very fast because there are many people trying to convert from tobacco smoking to vaping,” he said.
The industry, which is expected to grow by more than 13% year-on-year up to 2025, is currently unregulated, and many say forbidding e-cigarettes – already outlawed in Thailand and Singapore “for health reasons” – is a big mistake. “The government must regulate and not ban, because vaping is the future,” Sharifuddin said.
A growing number of amateur merchants have emerged across the country, where about a million people smoke e-cigarettes, a five-fold surge since last year, according to the Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) activist group.
Research on health risks remains split and like Malaysia, few countries have introduced national legislation to regulate the sector.