THE government has tabled the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.
This is the third time the bill has been tabled and it is a revision of the previous anti-tobacco law.
When tabling the bill, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the second reading is scheduled for tomorrow.
The revised bill has dropped the generational endgame (GEG) element, which aimed to prohibit the sale and use of cigarette products, including electronic cigarettes, based on age.
The first version of the bill was tabled by Zaliha’s predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin in 2022 and it was re-tabled in June after the formation of the unity government, following the 2022 general election.
Zaliha retracted the version of the anti-smoking bill tabled in June.
The new version of the bill prohibits the sale of tobacco products, smoking substances or substitute tobacco products or providing any services for smoking to a minor.
Clause 17(1) of the bill prohibits minors from smoking, chewing or using any tobacco product or smoking any substitute tobacco product.
Earlier, Zaliha in a posting on social media platform X, said the tabling of the revised bill was a historic moment as it is the first bill which aims to regulate tobacco products.
“This is a comprehensive bill to regulate the use of vape and electronic cigarettes being more widely used in our country and to overcome the existing legal loopholes,” she said. – The Vibes, November 28, 2023
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