It is unclear if Khairy Jamaluddin will table the revised tobacco bill for second reading after tabling the PSSC report on Thursday, before Budget 2023 is tabled on Friday.
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.
Khairy Jamaluddin insists on tabling the tobacco bill in the upcoming Parliament meeting, saying the House is tied to his motion that was approved by the Dewan Rakyat in its last meeting.
Malaysia’s health, science & innovation parliament committee will be meeting New Zealand’s health minister, parliament health committee, as well as an anti-tobacco group and a vaping trade group end September to share best practices on the tobacco GEG.
The Galen Centre wants removal of Clause 17 from the tobacco control bill to avoid criminalising smoking/ vaping, possession, and use of tobacco and vape products by the GEG born from 2007.
The Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia says the generational end game (GEG) to smoking or vaping must be rephrased by considering young people’s distress and stigma.
Anti-tobacco advocates say the law is the first step to forming a smoke-free culture, like in developed countries, citing ongoing Malaysian anti-tobacco educational programmes in school and homes.
Nearly 9 of 10 lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking tobacco or second-hand smoke exposure. If implemented properly, the tobacco control bill can save billions of ringgit on health expenditure and minimise the need to treat tobacco-related illnesses.