BANGI: The government is estimated to suffer RM273 billion in losses due to premature deaths from smoking-related complications if nothing is done to phase out the habit among people in the country.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said therefore, the government has no choice but to intensify its war against all smoking products.
He said smoking will not only affect the health of the people but also the country’s productivity apart from putting a strain on the public health system.
According to New Straits Times, Khairy said, it is estimated that 20,000 people in the country die from smoking-related complications annually.
“Smoking affects both the health of the people and economy of the country,” he said yesterday.
Khairy said the final draft of the Bill on the ban on smoking and tobacco products, which included a provision of Generation End Game (GEG), is now with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
“The final draft of the Bill is ready and is with the AGC before it is tabled in the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in July,” he said.
If the Bill is passed, smoking and the possession of any smoking products including electronic cigarettes will be banned for those born after 2005.
“When the Bill is passed, we will able to control the sale, possession as well as advertisement of smoking products including e-cigarettes (vape) irrespective of the platforms such as social media,” he said.
Khairy, however, said that even if the Bill is passed, it would mean nothing if contraband cigarettes continue to be smuggled into the country.
He said about 60 per cent of cigarettes in the market are contraband, which has affected the government’s efforts to transform Malaysia into a smoking-free nation.
“We will meet with the Customs Department, police and other enforcement agencies for stricter enforcement and launch an all-out war against contraband cigarettes,” he said.
