According to a report by Malaysian media Star on November 7th, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the government to immediately classify nicotine under the Poison Act for regulation.
The association, in a press release issued on Monday, November 6th, stated that liquid and gel nicotine should be immediately reclassified under the controlled substances list of the 1952 Poison Law.
In June 2023, the head of the MMA reported a total of 17 cases related to e-cigarette use and associated lung injuries (EVALI) for that month alone.
He also stated that the data obtained from the 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) reveals that the usage rate of e-cigarettes among teenagers aged 13 to 17 has increased from 9.8% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2022. The proportion of female users has also significantly risen, from 2.8% in 2017 to 6.2% in 2022.
