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The Ministry of Health (MOH) is preparing to present the Smoking Products Control Bill for public health. This bill will be handled during the ongoing second session of the 15th Parliament. The Generational EndGame (GEG) policy is also a part of this bill. If this bill passes during the session, vape products retailing, ads and packing will get controlled in Malaysia.
Special Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Helmy Haja Mydin, said the bill is importance to protect the health of young generation.
It mainly includes two main aspects. Namely the control of smoking products including vape products and the implementation of the GEG policy.
The GEG policy only refers to the prohibition of purchase and consumption of vape products. According to the recommendation of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee, the prohibition of possession and storage of cigarettes or vape products has been removed(from the bill).
“The ban will apply to all, including the younger generations born from 2007 onwards,” Helmy Haja Mydin says to Bernama recently.
A no vaping sign to call people pay attention on vape products
He emphasizes the bill includes control over registration, advertising, promotion and sponsorship, packaging and sale of cigarettes and vape products.
“Any violation, including selling of cigarettes to children in the GEG group will be an offence when the bill is passed,” he said.
In addition, Dr Helmy is also a respiratory consultant at the Kuala Lumpur Pantai Hospital. According to him, the Special Select Committee had also agreed to several amendments relating to the ban on those born in 2007 onwards.
“Among their recommendations is the reduction of the fine from RM5,000 to RM500 to avoid burdening the GEG group.”
Apart from that, the community service order for the smoking offence committed by the GEG is also being introduced. It will start to enforce when the law is enacted. This order is meant to educate and show that the policy is not purely punitive.
Meanwhile, the issue of body checks by MOH enforcement officers for that group was solved. That is by omitting the ban on the possession of smoking and vaping products and strengthening enforcement through education.
According to Dr Helmy, there is also a clause stating that a Periodic Report needs to be prepared and tabled in Parliament before January 2025 and every five years.
“The report will be about the effectiveness of the ban on the sale of tobacco and vape products, smoking materials, tobacco substitute products or smoking devices and related matters,” he said.
Dr. Helmy also hope that the bill can get support by all members of Parliament so that Malaysia will one day become a smoke-free nation.
A new complication caused by vape products has also been discovered, namely Electronic Vape Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).
“For the record, over 30 cases of EVALI have been reported to the MOH so far,” he said. Moreover, he also emphasizes that this complication affects not only the patients but also the patients’ wives and children.
