Updated on 12 September 2024
The Advanced Centre for Addiction Treatment Advocacy (ACATA) describes itself as a non-governmental organization led by medical professionals and promoting tobacco harm reduction[1][2]. ACATA’s president is Dr Arifin Fii, a general practitioner in Malaysia. Despite referring to itself as a research organization, there is no research published on ACATA’s website.
ACATA has opposed the Malaysian government’s proposal to ban electronic smoking devices and has incorrectly claimed that a minimal percentage of never-smokers start vaping.[3] ACATA has also incorrectly attributed the low smoking prevalence in countries like Sweden, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand to tobacco harm reduction strategies, ignoring those countries’ decades-long tobacco control efforts.[4],[5],[6] He has dismissed the Ministry of Health’s statement associating e-cigarette use with lung injury (EVALI) as mere “fear mongering tactics”.[7]
[1] Advanced Centre for Addiction Treatment Advocacy, https://www.facebook.com/acata.malaysia/
[2] Advanced Centre for Addiction Treatment Advocacy, https://acata.com.my/
[3] Ban on Vape Sends the Wrong Message, https://acata.com.my/downloads/Reactive_Statement_GEG_ENG.pdf
[4] Malaysian Smokers Embrace Vaping for Healthier Lives, Tobacco Use Drops as Vape Gains Popularity, https://theexchangeasia.com/malaysian-smokers-embrace-vaping-for-healthier-lives-tobacco-use-drops-as-vape-gains-popularity/
[5] Less harmful alternatives save lives – perhaps high time for Malaysia to emulate Sweden’s success story, https://focusmalaysia.my/less-harmful-alternatives-save-lives-perhaps-high-time-for-malyaia-to-emulate-swedens-success-story/
[6] Adopt New Zealand and Sweden’s Harm Reduction Approach to Reduce Smoking Rates in Malaysia, https://malaysian-business.com/index.php/wordpress/item/9486-adopt-new-zealand-and-sweden-s-harm-reduction-approach-to-reduce-smoking-rates-in-malaysia
[7] Business Times. ACATA urge govt not dismiss, discard scientific-based evidence on vape. NST. 2022/10/22. https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/10/842633/acata-urge-govt-not-dismiss-discard-scientific-based-evidence-vape