KUALA LUMPUR – The existence of various smoking products, especially e-cigarettes, and their wide promotion have impacted government efforts to curb early exposure to cigarettes, particularly among school students, revealed Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
Earlier, Dr Halimah Ali (Kapar-PN) asked the deputy minister to what extent the cigarette industry hinders the government’s efforts to minimise initial smoking or the earliest exposure to cigarettes among school students.
Despite this, he said that the government has implemented several measures to address this issue.
Last November, the contentious Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023 excluded the Generational Endgame (GEG) provisions but kept controls on vapes and e-cigarettes, as well as closing loopholes in the existing legislation on smoking products.
The bill with GEG provisions was first tabled in 2022 under the Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration but was pulled back for revision.
In today’s Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, Lukanisman said that the government has been working on efforts to reduce smoking habits, especially among school students.
“The government has been tightening the ban on the sale of smoking products to minors under Section 13, Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, which was just gazetted on February 2, 2024.
“The act strengthens the law against the advertising and sale of smoking products, including artificial smoking products that resemble children’s toys,” he said.
He added that as a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaysia needs to ensure its compliance with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to exercise control over tobacco as well as protect the country’s laws from the commercial and legal interests of the tobacco industry.
Lukanisman said that, according to a comprehensive study conducted by the ministry, there has been an increase in the prevalence of smoking among women.
“Vaping habits among women have increased significantly. According to our data, the prevalence of smoking among women was recorded at 2.8% in 2017, whereas by 2022, it had surged to 6.2%,” he said.
The government also recommended establishing a standardised product packaging plan for the sale of vape products in accordance with specifications to be issued by the Health Ministry regarding the permissible forms in which they can be sold by the industry, he added.
Last year, more than 2.4 million primary school students and over a million secondary school students participated in the ministry’s oral health programme, known as “Kotak.”
He said that out of that total, 374 primary school students and 38,010 secondary school students, who were identified as smokers, received smoking cessation interventions. – March 14, 2024