Cabinet approves Bill to ban smoking yesterday
KUALA LUMPUR: The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill was approved by the Cabinet yesterday, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
He said the bill would go before the Parliament for debate in the upcoming session, which starts next Monday.
In a short response to the media, Khairy said: “The tobacco bill was approved by the cabinet yesterday. We will be submitting it to Parliament for this session.”
The proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control law contains clauses to prohibit the sale of cigarettes, tobacco and vape products to anyone born after 2005.
Traders and cigarette vendors will not be allowed to sell smoking products to the people covered by the ban.
Khairy previously said the proposed generational smoking ban was the next step towards reducing cancer cases and improving cancer treatment access in the country.
He also said once the law was passed, Malaysia would become the first country in the world to enact a tobacco generational endgame legislation.
He said if nothing was done to overcome the smoking problem in the country, the habit would cost the government RM8 billion to treat lung cancer, heart problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2030.
NST
