Malaysia Urges Support for Tobacco and Smoking Control Act

Kuala Lumpur: Addiction to cigarettes and e-cigarettes can pave the way for drug abuse habits, and it is important to curb drug abuse from the very beginning. Therefore, all parliamentary members are urged to support the 2022 Tobacco and Smoking Products Control Bill to ensure public health and protect people from the harmful effects of these products.

The Chairperson of the National Women, Family, and Fire Department is Datuk Jamilah Baba.

Datin Jamilah Bakar, the chairwoman of Malaysia's National Association for Drug Prevention (PEMADAM) and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, has stated that it is high time for the country to introduce specific legislation concerning tobacco products and smoking habits, rather than relying on the Food Act and Tobacco Products Control Regulations of 1983.

PEMADAM fully supports the 2022 Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Act, as well as the implementation of the Generasi End Smoking (GEG) provisions, which prohibit smoking and purchasing cigarettes, including electronic cigarettes, for individuals born after January 1, 2007. In a statement released today, PEMADAM stated, "We recognize that smoking and e-cigarette use are gateway behaviors to drug abuse. It is necessary to curb the habit of addiction to nicotine and related substances from the very beginning.

The Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Act of 2022 is a law that regulates the registration of tobacco products, smoking materials or tobacco alternatives. It also monitors advertising, promotion, sponsorship, sales, and purchases of tobacco products, smoking materials, tobacco alternatives, and smoking devices. The law emphasizes a ban on anyone born after 2007 from smoking any tobacco product or alternative, as well as banning the use of smoking devices.

Jamela further commented that the emergence of new smoking products such as electronic cigarettes has had a negative impact on health. She stated that this would continue to burden the country's healthcare system and further threaten the health of both smokers and non-smokers.

It is estimated that by 2030, the cost of treating inflammatory lung disease (EVALI) will reach RM369 million.

According to the 2016 Malaysian Adolescent Tobacco and E-cigarette Survey (TECMA) by the Public Health Institute, 330,000 individuals, or 15.2% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 (27.8% male and 2.6% female), are electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users.

According to Jamella, the usage of adult e-cigarettes and e-cigarette users increased from 3.2% in 2016 to 4.9% in 2019. When calculated based on the total population, the number of e-cigarette users doubled in just three years, from 600,000 to 1.2 million people.

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