Malaysia: From Vape to Pipe

Source from:  The Star 12/18/2015

Shops selling tobacco are enjoying brisk sales as vapers and cigarette smokers in the state have started switching to smoking pipes and rolling cigarettes following the price hike and vaping ban in Johor.

From last month, the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes was raised from RM13.80 to RM17 while the vaping ban will take effect on Jan 1.

Kamelah Tobacco House sales assistant Mohamad Shazrul Danial Mohd Hairol Rizal claimed that the shops had seen four times more customers than before the cigarette price hikes and vaping ban.

"Since the ban in Johor and the hike in prices for cigarettes, we have been receiving four times more new customers and sales is expected to grow further next month when the ban takes full effect.

"Many vape users and cigarette smokers are looking for alternatives and pipes are considerably affordable as there are many types of tobacco," he told The Star when met at the shop in Puteri Harbour here recently.

The shop sells imported wooden pipes from Germany, Italy, Holland, France and Ireland with prices ranging from RM150 to RM3,000, depending on its quality.

He said most of the outlet's customers were middle income earners.

"For beginners, we usually recommend the low range at RM150 average but at the end of the day, it is the customers' personal preference and how much they are willing to spend," he said, adding that starter kits were sold between RM250 and RM300.

Shazrul said the tobacco for pipes also came in a variety of mixed flavours such as berries, vanilla, walnut and cocoa, however, customers could also opt for the non-flavoured and non-aromatic tobacco.

Another tobacco shop assistant, who declined to be named, said that besides pipe sales picking up, many young adults were also keen to roll their own cigarettes.

"Pipe smoking is a growing trend but some customers find it a bit of a hassle as it has to be regularly cleaned and keeping the tobacco burning is a skill by itself.

"Many smokers have started purchasing tobaccos and rolling injector, a machine that helps roll cigarettes," he said when met at the store along Jalan Trus here.

He said it was about 75% cheaper for smokers to roll their own cigarette compared to buying a packet off the shelves.

"If you roll the cigarettes yourself, it costs between 20 sen and 35 sen per stick, depending on the size of the stick and the tobacco brand, but if you buy it off the shelves, it costs 85 sen a stick.

"The prices of tobacco varies depending on the brand, but for the common ones, it is about RM15 average for a pack of 40g tobacco, which comes in assorted flavours such as green apple, lemon tea, caramel and green tea," he added.

He said the cigarette rolling machine was being sold for between RM26 and RM29 while a pack of 100 cigarette papers with filters cost about RM6. Enditem