Key Points
- Malaysian police plan to deploy saliva tests.
- The tests target synthetic drugs in vape liquids.
- Cases and arrests have risen this year.
- Debate over a vape ban may intensify.
2Firsts
June 29, 2026
According to Bernama and Malay Mail, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) plan to use saliva test kits at roadblocks to detect drivers who have used synthetic drugs mixed into vape liquids. Police said the measure is aimed at curbing drug-impaired driving and addressing the abuse of synthetic liquid drugs marketed as “Piu Piu” and “Magic Mushroom.”
Roadblock Testing Targets Drug-Impaired Driving
Hussein Omar Khan, director of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), said police have detected more cases involving motorists believed to be impaired after inhaling synthetic drug liquids through e-cigarette or vape devices. The substances are inserted into vape liquids or devices and inhaled, meaning users may gradually become intoxicated while driving without realizing it.
Hussein said police are concerned that such cases could lead to more road accidents and put other road users at risk. Saliva test kits would allow officers to obtain immediate preliminary screening results at roadblocks and assess whether a driver may have used drugs.
Malay Mail reported that police are seeking to deploy the tools at roadblocks by the end of the year. Bernama reported that police will use such kits to detect synthetic drug abuse. Both accounts point to the same enforcement direction: Malaysian police want to bring synthetic drug-laced vape liquids into the road-safety enforcement setting.
If implemented, the move would make vape liquids not only a public-health and consumer-product issue, but also a traffic-safety, narcotics and on-site enforcement issue.
“Piu Piu” Is Not a Specific Drug Name
Hussein explained that “Piu Piu” and “Magic Mushroom” are not names of specific drugs, but commercial terms used to market synthetic liquid drugs. These liquids are mixed into vape devices or e-liquids and inhaled through e-cigarettes.
Police said the substances can be obtained through online purchases, entertainment outlets and distribution among drug users. Their effects can intoxicate users to the point that they lose judgment and awareness.
This distinction is important for industry reporting. “Piu Piu” and “Magic Mushroom” should not be treated as exact names of specific chemical substances. A more accurate description is that they are terms police say are used to package or market synthetic liquid drugs. Malaysia’s Health Ministry previously said prohibited substances detected in vape preparations included benzodiazepines, nimetazepam, MDMA, cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol and methamphetamine.
Police also said similar synthetic drug products had been detected among secondary school students. That expands the issue from adult entertainment and drug-impaired driving into youth protection and school-related risk.
Cases Rise Sharply
Police data showed that Malaysia recorded 108 cases involving synthetic drug liquids and 138 arrests in 2025. As of June 10, 2026, 168 cases and 267 arrests had already been recorded this year. Both the case count and number of arrests have surpassed last year’s full-year totals.
Malaysia’s Health Ministry previously disclosed that police had recorded 402 cases up to April 2026 involving vape devices and liquids mixed with dangerous synthetic drugs. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the evidence provided a strong basis for the government to consider a vape ban.
Malaysian police had earlier called for a total ban on e-cigarettes and vape devices, saying drug syndicates were increasingly using vape liquids to distribute new psychoactive substances. With roadblock saliva tests now being proposed, the vape issue has moved from regulatory debate into enforcement-tool deployment.
For Malaysia’s vape market, the risk is no longer limited to whether products comply with nicotine concentration, labeling or sales restrictions. It now includes illegal drug adulteration, online-channel abuse, entertainment-outlet distribution, youth access and road-safety consequences.
Vape Industry Faces Higher Regulatory Pressure
The case could accelerate regulatory tightening on Malaysia’s vape industry. Vape operators, importers, distributors and retailers will face greater scrutiny over product sourcing, supply-chain controls and sales-channel risk. If police and health authorities continue to link drug-laced vape liquids with broader industry risk, legitimate operators could also be affected by stricter regulation.
First, the political and enforcement basis for a national vape ban may strengthen. The Health Ministry has cited 402 synthetic drug-linked vape cases as evidence supporting the ban debate. Police moves toward roadblock testing further connect vape liquids with public-safety risk.
Second, online sales and entertainment outlets may become key enforcement targets. Police said the substances can be obtained online, at entertainment outlets and through drug-user networks. Future enforcement may focus more closely on vape e-commerce, social media sales, courier distribution and nightlife venues.
Third, industry compliance may expand from “selling to adults” to proving product origin and content safety. Legitimate businesses may need stronger batch tracing, laboratory testing, distributor controls and suspicious-product reporting systems to reduce the risk of being linked to illegal products.
Fourth, consumer perception risk is rising. Once police connect synthetic drugs with vape devices, the public may more easily see the whole vape category as a potential drug-abuse channel. For brands and retailers, that could affect both commercial reputation and the policy environment.
Enforcement and Regulation to Move Across Agencies
Hussein said NCID has requested government funding to procure saliva test kits for roadblocks and is working with the Health Ministry and the National Anti-Drugs Agency to address the issue. This suggests Malaysia’s response to synthetic drug-laced vape liquids will no longer be handled by a single agency, but by police, health authorities, anti-drug agencies and road-safety enforcement bodies.
From an industry perspective, four issues should be watched next: whether saliva test kits are formally deployed by year-end; how roadside screening will connect with confirmatory laboratory testing; whether synthetic drug-laced vape cases push Malaysia closer to a national vape ban; and whether the government imposes stricter licensing, testing and traceability requirements on legal vape operators.
For Malaysia’s novel nicotine market, the case is an important regulatory signal. Vapes are moving from a public-health controversy into the framework of narcotics enforcement, traffic safety and public-order governance. Whether or not a full ban is ultimately adopted, Malaysia’s vape industry faces a more uncertain operating environment.
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Cover image:Malay Mail
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