Vape shops in Pahang have till year-end to clear their supplies, says exco

KUANTAN: Vape shop operators across Pahang have until Dec 31 this year to clear their electronic cigarette stock before a statewide ban takes effect in 2026.

Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff said local authorities have already stopped issuing licences for the sale of vape products.

“This decision follows the Pahang government’s move to ban vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes. We will no longer issue licences for the sale of vape products.

“Once the ban is in place, local authorities will be deployed to carry out enforcement and regularly inspect business premises to ensure traders do not continue selling the products illegally,” he told reporters after opening the Serambi Teruntum fresh market here today.

Fakhruddin said the Pahang government takes vaping among young children, including students, seriously, prompting it to impose the ban as the issue concerns the future of the people in the state.

“We advise traders to comply with the ban on the sale of vape products and to refrain from restocking. The state government has no plans to lift the ban on vape products,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fakhruddin said that to raise public awareness, local authorities will distribute pamphlets and put up banners about the ban.

“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,” he said.

Fakhruddin also expressed appreciation to the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, for continuously championing efforts to ban the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping nationwide.

“His Majesty has shown great concern by frequently highlighting the threats posed by vaping during his speeches. Therefore, the state government is taking appropriate measures to ensure that the decree can be implemented effectively in Pahang,” he said.

In June this year, Pahang Islamic Religious Affairs, Rural Development, and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad said the Pahang Mufti’s Department had issued a fatwa prohibiting the use of vape.

Last year, Al-Sultan Abdullah called for an outright ban on vaping following a rise in drug addiction cases in Pahang.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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