The Malaysian cabinet is set to review a bill this week that would ban smoking for individuals born after 2005, according to a report by The Edge.
According to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, the "implementation of intergenerational finality" clause in this bill aims to prevent Malaysia's young generation from developing smoking habits and becoming addicted to tobacco products as they age, with the goal of reducing Malaysia's smoking population to below 5% by 2040.
Jamaluddin stated that "this will be able to reduce the risks of premature death, chronic diseases, and medical expenses that the government has to bear due to smoking-induced complications.
Currently, about 40.5% of Malaysian men and 20% of women are smokers.
Khairy anticipates that cabinet members will resist the proposed legislation over concerns about potential losses in tax revenue and tourism spending. In his comments, he stated that if the legislation is not implemented, the government will have to bear the cost of around 8 billion ringgit (1.81 billion USD) to treat smoking-related health issues.
The Malaysian law will also regulate vaping products, taking reference from New Zealand's legislation. The law proposed a plan in December 2021 to gradually increase the smoking age until it covers the entire population.
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