The Time To Act Is Now — MMA

We urge all MPs to support the proposed generational end game that can prevent a future generation of smokers and vapers.

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) calls on all MPs to give their full support to the Health Ministry’s proposed Generational End Game (GEG) soon to be tabled in Parliament.

To all parents, protect your children against the harmful effects of smoking and vaping by voicing your support for GEG to the MPs representing your locality.

GEG is a good initiative which the MMA believes can effectively prevent a future generation of smokers and vapers. If we are all on board with GEG, we can look forward to a future of healthier Malaysians, free of diseases related to smoking and vaping.

As taxpayers, we will see the benefit when hospital admissions for heart disease, stroke, various cancers and respiratory illnesses are reduced.

If taxpayer money is spent wisely on prevention such as through this initiative, we stand to save significantly on treatments in our health care spending. I think by now everyone would know that treatments for these diseases are expensive.

MMA gives its full support to the GEG bill which seeks to stop the sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes and vape products to those born from 2005 onwards.

Having seen the health and economic ravages that such products have caused to countless people across the world and not least in Malaysia, we say NO MORE to the continued destruction caused to users of such products and their families.

Cessation of smoking requires self will power and immense effort due to the addictive nature of tobacco. This has led to e-cigarettes and vaping emerging to purportedly assist smokers in kicking the habit.

Whilst claiming to be less harmful than tobacco, we have seen that e-cigarettes and vaping products are by themselves harmful to health as well.

Like the tobacco industry, those involved in the business of e-cigarettes and vaping will also attempt to protect their interests as it involves large sums of capital and profit.

Instead of stopping the industry altogether, GEG will allow those involved, time to remodel their business to avoid a catastrophic loss to their investment.

Knowing the difficulties in trying to kick the habit, cutting off such supplies from the young will also remove the effort needed to wean them off the habit later on when the realisation sets in that the harmful effects from such products are starting to creep into their lives.

GEG seeks to stop future generations from the opportunity of starting the habit of tobacco smoking and the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products as well.

The time to act is now.

Dr Koh Kar Chai is the president of the Malaysian Medical Association.

  • This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.

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