KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry hopes to receive the support of all Members of Parliament when the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill is tabled in parliament this July.
Deputy health minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said they hope the new proposed legislation to ban smoking and the possession of tobacco and vape products for those born in 2005 or later, touted as the "Generational End Game" (GEG), will control the prevalence of smoking to below five per cent by 2040.
"The draft bill is currently with the Attorney-General's Chambers and we are waiting for approval. The minister (Khairy Jamaluddin) will bring this long-awaited bill to parliament and we hope all MPs will back this effort.
"The long-term effects of the prevalence of smoking will lead to the nation's low productivity rate. It will also lead to diseases that can be fatal and cause losses to the country.
"It has been a long time coming for this bill. Malaysia has been a party to the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) since 2015 but the percentage of prevalence of smoking continues to be low and with the existence of vape, it will only attract more young ones to smoke.
"Therefore, we do not want them to even start smoking or even be shown the products. We need to start hyping this up and enhance awareness. This needs a collective effort. We do not want our children to smoke," he said after the World No Tobacco Day celebrations at SJKC Choong Wen, here.
Also present was deputy education minister I Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.
Malaysia, added Dr Noor Azmi, has over 20 per cent of smokers compared to Sweden, which only recorded five per cent.
The Tobacco and E-Cigarette Survey Among Adolescents in Malaysia in 2016, showed that over 140,000 teenagers had started using e-cigarettes.
"In 2017, the numbers rose to over 210,000. This is why we need the GEG strategy which will be able to realise our nation's target of reducing the percentage of smokers to under five per cent by 2040.
"Under GEG, individuals born after Jan 1, 2005 are prohibited from smoking, buying, or owning any form of tobacco or cigarette products including vape and e-cigarettes. People are not allowed to sell cigarette products to the GEG group.
"This is to protect the next generation from the dangers of tobacco and cigarette products, and also lead to a healthier and more productive generation," he said.