KUALA LUMPUR – A parliamentary special select committee has summoned Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah to a hearing tomorrow to present their proposed bill to make smoking illegal for youths.
The briefing by Khairy and Noor Hisham is part of a study into the effects the bill will have on society as a whole, not just in terms of public health, according to Health, Science and Innovation Committee chairman Dr Kelvin Yii.
“The bill must be reviewed from a holistic view to review its impact and analyse whether there are better alternatives to better regulate and reduce the harm of smoking instead of an outright ban,” Yii said in a statement.
Yii said their evaluation must also consider the prevalence of illicit cigarettes in the market, which the tobacco industry estimated to have accounted for over 58% of total cigarette sales in the country in 2017.
“Having a policy that bans the sale of cigarettes to youth will just push the industry underground, leading to our youth obtaining illegal cigarettes with ingredients that are not properly regulated and are harmful,” the Bandar Kuching MP said.
The committee will also be assisted by a panel of seven experts, including Malaysia Women’s Action for Tobacco Control and Health president Roslizawati Md Ali and Addiction Medicice Association of Malaysia president Dr Steven Chow.
In February, Khairy had said that he intends to table the act in Parliament to regulate electronic cigarettes and vape products alongside a “Generation End-Game” target against smoking in the long run.
If the law is passed, those born after 2005 will not be allowed to purchase cigarettes in the country. – The Vibes, April 4, 2022
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