Malaysia: Watchdogs: Appoint Licensed Pharmacists to Sell E-cigarettes

Source from:  Borneo Post (my)  01/21/2013

Several consumers' associations have proposed for the Health Ministry to appoint licensed pharmacists or registered medical practitioners to sell electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes in the market.
 
Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan said the e-cigarettes would not help hardcore smokers to reduce or quit their smoking habits because they also contained liquid nicotine which would give addictive effect to the smokers.
 
"These cigarettes can now be purchased anywhere and there also exist stockists and agents who sell the cigarettes for quick profit," he said yesterday.
 
Nadzim was commenting on the recent remarks by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai that the ministry would monitor the sale of electronic cigarettes.
 
Prior to that, Sarawak health director Datuk Dr Zulkifli Jantan had said that selling, distributing or storing e-cigarettes was an offence under the Poisons Act 1952 and Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.
 
The cigarettes which use liquid nicotine to produce the required vapour were sold rampantly and was quite a hit among smokers.
 
Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysia Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy president Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said the ministry should carry out in-depth study on the side-effects of the electronic cigarettes to smokers. Enditem