PEOPLE’S Health Forum expresses strong support for the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill that will be debated in parliament today for its second reading.

This is definitely a bold move and a show of political will given how much pressure is exerted by the industry lobbies to stop this bill.

A dedicated standalone law for tobacco control, including regulating and restricting vape and e-cigarettes, is timely and necessary for an effective policy to prevent new generations from picking up the habit that will cause high addiction to nicotine.

What stands out in the bill is that it puts in a mechanism to prohibit and phase out smoking among the new generations born in 2007 – the generational endgame (GEG) policy.

We are pleased that the government is taking action now to further reduce the potential number of new smokers.

While allowing the current smokers to continue, the government imposes more restrictions and regulations according to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as well as helping them to quit smoking altogether.

Smoking prevalence in Malaysia is still high, standing at 21.3% of population in 2019, which is estimated to be 4.88 million smokers.

Despite the best efforts from the Health Ministry under the current policy framework, over the past 30 years, the government could only maintain the prevalence rate (21.5% in 1986) but not reduce the total number of smokers.

Nicotine is highly addictive, studies put it on a par with cocaine and heroin.

No amount of nicotine is safe, and once addicted, quitting is exceedingly difficult.

In 2018, among those registered under the Health Ministry’s smoking cessation programme, despite the guidance and assistance, the success rate was only about 22%.

Universiti Malaya once did a study showing that 80% smokers who claimed to have quit smoking could relapse within two months.

Hence, it is always the tobacco industry’s strategy to attract new smokers, at least get them addicted first to nicotine by whatever means.

It has been the obvious trend for the industry to shift its focus to vape and e-cigarettes for the young people, using dubious and misleading claims that these are “safer” and could be part of the “harm reduction” strategy.

Many fell for it, without realising the harm of e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury.

Furthermore, vape and e-cigarettes are used as the gateway for the users to also pick up conventional cigarettes.

According to a survey, 74% of vapers have smoked cigarettes before, 40% are current both vape and cigarette smokers.

Thus, it is fundamental for the government to take decisive action to control and regulate the use of vape and e-cigarette through this new act.

GEG is a core strategy to protect and prevent the new generations from picking up the smoking habit, because the current 18-year-old smoking age law actually sends wrong signals to youngsters that smoking is a legal and acceptable social behaviour and life choice as long as they reach the legal age.

GEG sets a different narrative, telling the young population that the government and the society will take action to protect them from harm by prohibiting smoking for them.

This is coherent with the health warning message that smoking could harm them.

On the other hand, GEG sees the current smokers as the victims of nicotine addiction and smoking cessation would take time and effort, hence they are allowed to smoke and the government could concentrate on helping the current addicts.

If there were no GEG, assuming that the smoking prevalence would be at the status quo (21.3%) and applying this to the current under-18 population, then we would have to expect an additional two million new smokers in future adding to the national healthcare and financial burden.

Even if GEG would not be perfect, let’s say only 90% effectiveness to prevent this young population from smoking, the government only needs to handle far fewer new smokers than the status quo policy.

With the prevailing data and health costs, the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill is a rational policy worthy of the support from the members of parliament as well as the wider society.

It even has massive support from the current smokers, according to a few local surveys.

Do not let the industry’s narrative such as illicit trade and economic loss muddle the vast benefits the new act would bring to the nation.

With stricter regulations provided by the new act, the enforcement team would have better coordination and support to discharge their duty.

With the demand for tobacco products expected to go down gradually with the implementation of GEG, the number of illicit products in the market will go down as a result.

The loss of cigarette tax is nothing compared to the money the government has spent to treat smoking-related diseases.

This cost to health and productivity loss of the sick smokers will only increase if GEG is not put in place now.

Hence, People’s Health Forum strongly urge the MPs not to engage with any representative from the tobacco industry and their sponsored groups as this is also prohibited under the WHO FCTC.

We condemn the industry lobbyists who appeared in parliament when the bill was presented for its first reading as this was a serious breach of the FCTC and the people’s representatives must be free from industry’s influence.

People’s Health Forum calls on all MPs to vote for the bill, to always put public interest first.

An MP’s duty should include caring and protecting the new generations from harm. The bill is for our healthier and better future together. – August 2, 2022.

* People’s Health Forum is a platform created by several not-for-profit organisations and individuals who are committed to the principle of health for all.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.