Parents hope MPs will support tobacco bill

KUALA LUMPUR: According to the World Health Organisation, 1.2 million non-smokers die due to exposure to second-hand smoke every year.

Smoking, therefore, is no longer a question of personal freedom, but is rather an existential threat to the wider community.

In Malaysia, the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill would provide a much-needed relief for non-smokers, especially for families with young children.

They are now banking on parliamentarians across the aisle to support the bill when it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this week.

If the bill gets passed, Malaysia would become the first country in the world to ban smoking and prohibit the ownership of tobacco and vape products by those born after 2005.

For Kerina Khiudin, 36, the bill is the country’s last hope to stamp out smoking completely.

The mother-of-two said smokers are generally inconsiderate and would nonchalantly light up cigarettes although they know young children are in the vicinity.

“I have encountered such situations but I hesitated to confront the smokers because I was worried for my children’s safety.

“But, if the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill comes into effect, then I would definitely feel safer about spending time with my kids outdoors.

“That is because the law would give an impetus to health officers to step up enforcement efforts in public places, especially to check identification cards to verify the age of smokers.

“In fact, I have seen many young girls pick up vaping soon after they leave school.

“Honestly, I do not want my children to grow up having these wrong examples. Instead, I hope they will grow up into a smoking-free generation,” she told the New Straits Times.

Kerina also suggested that the government ensure that smokers only light up at designated areas and impose hefty penalties on those who refuse to comply.

Similarly, Aisyah Rozi, 32, said the generational smoking ban could raise a tobacco-free generation and effectively end all smoking-related problems in the country.

“Currently, youngsters under 18 years old are still able to purchase cigarettes and vape although it is illegal to sell these products to them.

“The new law would strengthen regulatory oversight and bolster enforcement to prevent tobacco products from reaching those born after 2005.

“As such, we will no longer have to deal with the smoking problem in the decades to come.

“On top of that, a generational tobacco ban will greatly reduce the amount of cigarette butts — the single most littered item in the world.

“All of us deserve to breathe clean air,” she said.

Aisyah, who has two daughters, also called on the Health Ministry to instate a ban on smoking in the presence of children and minors.

“On one occasion, I saw a guy lighting up a cigarette while he was holding a baby. The incident left me dumbfounded,” she said.

Melissa Chua, 40, a mother of three children, said she would feel safer about taking her children outdoors if the bill came into to effect.

“Often, when there are smokers in the vicinity, I would rather leave the scene quickly.

“Even if I told them politely, I don’t think they would be able to understand that I was only trying to protect my kids from cigarette smoke.

“Instead, they might feel that I was trying to police them and get offended or provoked,” she said.

Likewise, Shreya Menon Krisnan, a 25-year-old content writer, lauded the government’s push for a tobacco generational endgame legislation.

She also suggested that the government set up a task force, comprising police and other related agencies, to check the identification cards of smokers as well as those purchasing tobacco and vape products.

“The ban is a step forward and I am all for it.

“However, it would be difficult to rely on retailers to enforce the legislation. A separate task force is required to ensure more robust enforcement,” she said.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has been pushing for the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill in line with efforts to make Malaysia a tobacco-free country by 2040.

Khairy said cigarette smoking would cost the government RM8 billion to treat lung cancer, heart problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2030.

The cabinet gave the green light for the bill on July 14 and it will be tabled and put to a vote in the Dewan Rakyat this week.

NST