A ban on vaping products in the Malaysian state of Pahang will go into full effect in 2026.
According to New Straits Times, local authorities have already stopped issuing licenses to sell vapes to smoke shops.
"This decision follows the Pahang government's move to ban vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes," said Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff, chairman of the Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment, and Green Technology Committee, per New Straits Times. "We will no longer issue licenses for the sale of vape products."
Similar bans are occurring around the world, putting a stop to the immense and complex toll of vaping. A ban on unregulated vapes went into effect in July across North Carolina, while the sale of certain disposable vapes is set to begin at the start of September in Texas.
Increasing evidence against the health effects associated with vaping and smoking encourage bans like these.
Aside from the known health impacts of smoking, particularly on the lungs and heart, the issue of microplastic consumption is introduced when inhaling smoke through these plastic devices. Microplastics have been linked to various cognitive issues, as well as to reproductive problems and cancer.
To make the problems surrounding vapes, specifically disposable vapes, worse, a whole new environmental issue has been brought to light. These devices, which contain plastics, metals, and an assortment of chemicals, have become the newest littering burden and can be seen strewn everywhere, creating e-waste.
The products themselves and the chemicals they leach can be harmful to wildlife, degrade soil quality, and even pollute water sources.
Furthermore, the proliferation of vaping among young people is a key reason Pahang and other places are moving forward with such strict bans.
"We want the public, especially parents with children, to be well informed about the move to ban vape products and ensure traders are aware of it," Fakhruddin said, as reported by New Straits Times. "The state government has no plans to lift the ban on vape products."
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