Putrajaya's liquid nicotine U-turn risks another policy mess

THE government's decision to withdraw its appeal over the liquid nicotine ruling may be legally defensible and motivated by legitimate public health concerns. Politically, however, it risks becoming another avoidable controversy over a policy the government itself created.

In 2023, liquid nicotine was removed from the Poisons List. The government then introduced the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), creating a regulatory framework for tobacco, vape products and nicotine liquids. The Act came into force in October 2024.

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