No more licence renewal for vape shops in Perak starting from January 2026

IPOH – Perak will stop issuing or renewing licences to sell vape and electronic cigarettes starting January 2026.

Perak health committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the state executive council has agreed to the move in its bid to protect the health of the people, particularly the youth.

“Renewals can still be done with the local councils this year,” he said.

He added that licences would be only for a year.

“But once the licence expires, there will be no more renewals,” he said, adding that existing licence holders may operate until their licence expires.

Mr Sivanesan said the number of vape users has increased in the last few years.

“Vape users in Perak have increased from 53,086 in 2019 to 69,788 users in 2023.

“The percentage of conventional smokers aged 13 to 17 years is 6.2 per cent, while 10.5 per cent are vape users,” he said at a press conference on Oct 1.

“There is also an increase in the number of cases where people have been found to mix drugs with their vape.

“There were 11 cases last year, while 31 cases were reported between January and July this year,” he said.

The drugs that were used include syabu, ganja, psilocybin and mushrooms, he added.

Several states, including Johor, Kedah, Terengganu and Perlis, have placed restrictions on vape sales. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK