Perak will no longer issue licenses for the sale of e-cigarettes or vape products starting January 1 next year.
State Executive Councillor for Human Resources, National Integration, and Indian Community Affairs, A. Sivanesan, said the decision was made during the State Government Council Meeting on September 22 as part of preparations for a nationwide ban on vape sales to be implemented by the federal government.
With this move, Perak becomes the seventh state to prohibit the sale of vape products through licensing enforcement by local authorities, following Perlis, Kedah, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan.
Sivanesan explained, “To fully ban it, the law must first be repealed. Until then, we cannot outright prohibit it. What the other five states did was simply stop issuing vape sales licenses.”
He added, “In this process, we are only preventing the sale of vape products at premises in our state. The state government has broad authority in public health, community education, and business licensing. This power is being used to drive lifestyle changes in Perak through license bans, non-renewal of existing licenses, and coordinated enforcement.”
Sivanesan noted that the phase-out period will take about 14 months, as applications or renewals for vape sales licenses will still be accepted until December 31. After January 1, 2026, no new applications will be entertained, and existing licenses will only remain valid for one year. Once expired, renewals will not be allowed, gradually ending vape sales within the 14-month period.
He also highlighted public health concerns in the state, citing 44 cases of vaping-related lung injuries (EVALI), 27 non-EVALI cases, and 111 cases of nicotine poisoning recorded between 2015 and 2023.
Furthermore, Sivanesan pointed out an increasing trend of drug abuse linked to vape products, including methamphetamine, marijuana, psilocybin, and mushrooms, with 42 cases recorded between 2024 and July 2025.
