KUALA LUMPUR – Harm reduction mechanisms must also be included in the Generational Endgame (GEG) tobacco bill, said lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar-Muda).
The Health Ministry should not only seek to penalise violators, but also look at how to help smokers safely transition out of addiction.
“The ministry may say that the new generation will not vape, will not smoke, but that is wishful thinking.
“Drugs are 100% illegal but there are Malaysians who still use drugs. Even if we ban a substance 100%, not all will follow the law,” the former youth and sports minister said when debating the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat.
“The question is what about the poor, those who are desperate or most vulnerable, what do we do to help them? Instead, there must be a transition process towards harm reduction that we should look into,” he added.
The Muda president also cited public health data from the UK that indicated that the most people who quit nicotine products are those who transitioned from cigarettes to vaping, and showed that vape products are 95% less harmful than cigarettes.
Citing New Zealand as another example, Syed Saddiq said Malaysia should adopt their policy of penalising suppliers rather than punishing addicts or users.
“We shouldn’t criminalise the user, but focus on the source or supplier. If we admit that cigarettes and vapes cause addiction, it is therefore unreasonable to penalise addicts because it is not their choice.”
Syed Saddiq also took issue with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s assurance that violators will only be slapped with a maximum compound of RM50, saying that the ministry did not have total control over all enforcement agents.
Additionally, he said the current bill should do away with provisions that allow enforcement officers to open any baggage or containers, and search any properties without any warrants, fearing possible abuse of power.
The bill seeks to ban all people born on and after January 1, 2007 from smoking any tobacco products or substitute tobacco products; using any smoking devices; or possessing any tobacco product, smoking substance, substitute tobacco product, or smoking device.
It will also be an offence for people born on and after that date to purchase such products.
Following concerns raised by MPs and parliamentary select committees on health and women and children, Khairy said the original fine of RM5,000 would be reduced to RM500.
He also referred the bill to a special select committee for more fine-tuning. – The Vibes, August 2, 2022
