WITH the Government planning to impose a generational ban on smoking, a PKR leader urged the Government to follow up the matter with strict enforcement to curb smuggling.
“While the proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill is a move in the right direction, efforts must be intensified to ensure this does not create demand for illegal tobacco products.
“There must be greater enforcement efforts by the authorities to weed out the illegal cigarette trade in the country,” said PKR supreme council member Datuk R Ramanan.
Three days ago, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the draft Bill to ban smoking among those born in 2005 and is in the final stages and would be tabled at the Parliament in July.
He also said several rounds of engagement, including with the cigarette industry, had been held to gather feedback from all quarters before finalising it.
Under the Bill, those born in 2005 and beyond will be prohibited from smoking, buying or possessing any type of smoking products, including electronic cigarettes or vape products, even after reaching 18 years old.
In addition, retailers and cigarette vendors would be barred from selling smoking products to those covered by the generational ban.
Touching on the matter, Ramanan said that generational “end game” is encouraging and everyone wants it to succeed.
However, he was concerned that the smuggling of contraband cigarettes and other tobacco products may soar following the ban.
“Though the illicit cigarette trade dropped by 6.5% from 63.8% in 2020, it is still high and according to reports, Malaysia remains the number one country for illegal cigarettes.
“According to the Illegal Tobacco Trade 2021 Malaysia report, Malaysian authorities seized a total of 40 million sticks of illegal cigarettes in 2020, whereas a total of 84 million sticks were seized from anti-smuggling operations in coastal areas in the first quarter of 2021 alone.
“In fact, the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers (CMTM) had also expressed concern that smuggling syndicates are employing new methods to bring illicit cigarettes into Malaysia,” the PKR leader stated.
Increase awareness campaigns
Therefore, Ramanan said the Government must also intensify its anti-smoking awareness campaigns and programmes to educate youngsters on the dire effects of smoking.
He mentioned that it was important to instil in their minds that any form of addiction is detrimental to their health.
“We don’t want our youths to be seeking alternatives just because they are unable to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products.
“Achieving a tobacco-free society is not the responsibility of the Health Ministry alone but involves proactive efforts from all quarters concerned,” Ramanan concluded. — April 28, 2022
Main photo credit: Code Blue
