The state government will discuss the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's decree to prohibit the sale of vape in the state, effective January at the next state executive council (exco) meeting.
State health and environment executive committee chairperson Ayub Rahmat said the committee and related agencies such as the Johor Health Department and Pharmacy Division would hold discussions on the matter before presenting it at the exco meeting.
"We will call the relevant agencies such as the health department and pharmacy division to study the procedures and regulations to carry out the Sultan of Johor's decree," he told reporters when met at the Bangunan Sultan Ismail, in Nusajaya today.
He was commenting on the sultan's order to prohibit the sale of vape products and closure of all vape premises effective Jan 1, next year as reported in a local English daily today.
He said the committee was thankful to Sultan Ibrahim's decree which was seen as being in line with the state government's stand that vaping was detrimental to the people's health, especially the younger generation.
On his part, Ayub said he had been consistently voicing the view that vape could be abused by consumers and that it could lead to drug abuse.
"In two to three years, if vape is not prevented, we will see a decline in the morals of the younger generation, as well as more social problems," he added.
Ban on vape produce sale soon
Ayub said the state Health Department did not have the authority to close down premises selling vape products but the Pharmacy Division could seize items involved under the Poisons Act 1952 and the Food Act 1983, if it contained unregistered or prohibited substances.
Based on earlier monitoring, the committee had detected six vape business premises which infringed the act in Johor Baru.
Meanwhile, state housing and local government executive committee chairperson Abdul Latif Bandi said his committee would issue a new circular to ban the sale of vape products, via the local authorities bylaw soon.
- Bernama
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