Smoking ban will only excite more youths to try out, warn experts

SHAH ALAM - The more you control the more people will get excited, said experts on health ministry's proposal to ban sale of cigarettes and tobacco, vape products to anyone born in or after 2007.

Former Penang health exco Dr Afif Bahardin said it will not be the right way to end generational smoking ban on tobacco, as "the moment you ban something, illicit trade will come in"

"The worry of this bill, is that I foresee people will be keen to get it," he told Sinar Daily.

On July 27, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin tabled Malaysia's Tobacco Product and Smoking Control Bill 2022 for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat to introduce a generational endgame law, which will, among others, prohibit the smoking of cigarettes among persons born in 2007 and after.

The second and third reading will also be carried out during the present sitting.

In Penang, Afif said it was a gradual process with initiatives taken through Penang-Bebas Asap Rokok and eventually Pakatan Harapan administration after winning GE14 ban smoking in eateries.

"The most crucial part is education. Our current laws are strict compared to other countries in terms of smoking, advertising under the tobacco act.

"The worry is if the bill is passed do we have the enforcement to enforce this," he said.

After the pandemic, the Seberang Jaya assemblyman said even eateries were lax on smoking ban which shows the momentum needs to be there in order for people to abid the laws.

As a policy maker, he said more studies needs to be done as the country's enforcement remains weak and more money will be spend on enforcement.

"Its a simple argument to say that 'Oh, the number of smokers will be cut down, the number of smoking related diseases will be down, the number of money spend is reduced', I agree if we look at that angle alone but how about the money we are going to put in enforcement, campaigns, creating awareness in schools, to catch those who are legally in procession of all this tobacco substance.

"It requires a lot of public funds," he said.

Due to that, he said instead of introducing a law, a study should be carried out to look at ways to educate youths to keep away from these substances.

Lawyer Datuk M Reza Hassan questioned if Khairy was trying to get votes for elections.

"Its dangerous to dictate the mind of the people. You can't just fast track certain things," he said.

"People are naturally rebellious, if you force this law on Malaysians, won't the prison be full of smokers," he added.

A local study, he said should be been carried out first as each country has different culture.

Citing an example, he said Singapore and New Zealand have their own culture "and if you try to adopt that into Malaysia, obviously it won't work, culturally we are different."

In Malaysia, he said spitting on the side-walk is still a habit, if anti-spitting laws were adopted will offenders be sent to jail?," he said.

It will also increase illicit trade, as even now cigarrettes are being smuggled into the country, he added.