Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii says he is “optimistic” of the revised bill and will speak to DAP leadership; PKR VPs Nurul Izzah Anwar and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad are also supportive of the new tobacco bill.
The PSSC says GEG is constitutional; it agrees to remove criminal penalties for possession of tobacco products for people born from Jan 1, 2007, reduce fines to RM500, and limit enforcement powers.
Ex-deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye supports the tobacco GEG, noting that the majority of adult smokers are unable to quit smoking even with the best available smoking cessation treatment.
Physicians suggest requiring doctors’ prescriptions for vape to help smokers quit tobacco, saying vape will also help future generations quit if they illegally smoke cigarettes.
It’s unclear if the GEG implementation in 2027, starting with the 2007 cohort, means that those born from 2007 can smoke or vape when they’re 18 or 19, before they’re banned at age 20.
Gagasan Belia says the generational end game (GEG) leads to child incarceration if GEG offenders can't pay the RM500 fine for smoking, adding that the bill fails to address the root cause of addiction.
Amid pushback against the GEG, which aims to prohibit tobacco and vape for anyone born from January 1, 2007, Khairy Jamaluddin reiterates the economic benefits of the tobacco bill.
Tharma Pillai, co-founder of youth group Undi18, says a war on tobacco will victimise the poor, just like the war on drugs, as he asks if the government has consulted young people on the GEG.