THE average cost of treating a patient suffering from EVALI (E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) linked to electronic cigarettes, including vapes, is estimated at RM150,892.11, with an average hospital stay of 12 days, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
He disclosed that since the enforcement of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) on 1 October, six serious lung complication cases identified as EVALI had been reported up to September this year.
“In total, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has recorded 46 EVALI cases from 2019 to September this year,” he said in a written reply to Parliament.
Dr Dzulkefly added that last year alone, the estimated total treatment cost for EVALI patients reached RM223.5 million — surpassing the government’s revenue from nicotine taxes on vape products, which amounted to RM209.5 million collected between April 2023 and August 2025. - November 6, 2025
