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THE Ministry of Health (MOH) is preparing to move towards a ban on the sale and use of electronic cigarettes this year, with enforcement efforts initially focused on open-system vape products, amid growing concerns over drug abuse and long-term health risks.
At the same time, MOH has reported a sharp rise in calls to its national mental health helpline, highlighting mounting pressures on public health services.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry would not compromise in enforcing the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), stressing that decisive action was imminent.
“I have already announced this earlier, particularly in relation to open-system vapes. There may be several steps implemented, but the first step is to ban open-system vapes that have been misused with various synthetic drugs,” he told reporters after the 2026 New Year Address ceremony on Tuesday.
Dr Dzulkefly said the proposed measures stem from a moral obligation to safeguard future generations from non-communicable diseases and serious lung conditions, including popcorn lung or bronchiolitis obliterans.
He added that the matter would be tabled before the Cabinet in the near future.
Separately, the minister revealed that calls to the HEAL 15555 hotline have risen significantly since the service began operations on 21 October 2022. Between its launch and 31 December 2025, the hotline received a total of 163,709 calls.
Of these, 125,417 callers were provided with emotional support, while 38,292 received targeted intervention from counselling psychologists. Dr Dzulkefly said the hotline had also managed 451 behavioural crisis cases involving suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
“Out of this number, 294 cases of suicidal ideation were given intervention, and most importantly, 157 cases of suicide attempts were referred with the activation of MERS999 and received cooperation from the Royal Malaysia Police and emergency departments,” he said. “…and they were successfully brought to hospital to receive treatment.”
He added that the hotline currently receives an average of 80 calls per day, with a consistently rising annual trend. In 2023, 27,738 calls were recorded, increasing to 42,990 in 2024 before nearly doubling to 90,981 calls in 2025.
In light of the rising demand, Dr Dzulkefly welcomed greater involvement from non-governmental organisations to strengthen strategic collaboration in expanding mental health support nationwide, including early prevention efforts and integrated intervention programmes. - January 6, 2025