Govt proposal to ban smoking for future generations receives massive support from NGOs

SHAH ALAM - Fifty-seven non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have showed their full support to the Ministry of Health's (MOH) proposal to table a new Tobacco and Smoking Control Act in Parliament called the 'generation end-game' to ban smoking for future generations.

The group, in a statement said the national strategic plan aims to reduce smoking rates to less than 15 per cent, by 2021 and below 5 per cent by 2040.

"End-game means that there would be a decrease in the percentage of people who smoke which will reach below 5 per cent.

"Will we succeed in achieving the end-game? We will surely not if no one will initiate a 'bold or brave' move like Khairy did," the statement said.

On Saturday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is planning to ban smoking and in turn create a new generation free from smoking and vaping habits.

According to the group, the country is still facing a challenging situation with the smoking percentage reduced slightly from 23 per cent to 21 percent since 1986 until now.

They said the costs to treat deceases caused by smoking habits had imposed a financial burden to the health system in the country.

The group urged for a complete ban on smoking products including electronic cigarettes and vapes.

“The new act does not mention that it includes vape, so we want all smoking products including vapes to be banned,” the group said.

The NGOs had also voiced their concerns over the new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and vapes, which contribute to the increase of the number of smokers in the country which might lead to a delay in achieving the end-game within the expected period.

They said through research by the National E-Cigarette Survey (NECS) 2016, the number of electronic cigarette and vape users have increased from an estimated 600,000 people to more than 1.1 million as reported by the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019.

“Thus, we would like to advise the cigarette industry, especially the vape and electronic cigarette industries to have an open mind and accept the new laws and enforcement that will be introduced,” they said.