The data is in, support the Bill, says Health Minister

Toward a healthy lifestyle: Lukanisman (in dark blue shirt) launching the national No Tobacco Day at Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: The rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and increasing ecigarette usage among youth is a clear sign to support government initiatives to control smoking products and the Generational Endgame (GEG) Bill.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said according to a 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey, some 5.1 million Malaysians have two or three of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular or heart diseases, the No. 1 cause of deaths in the country.

She said NCDs can be prevented through healthy lifestyles which include not smoking cigarettes or tobacco products.

“This survey also suggested that over 27,200 annual deaths in the country are due to smoking,” she said in her speech when launching the national No Tobacco Day at Padang Merdeka here yesterday. Her speech was delivered by her deputy Lukanisman Awang Sauni.

Dr Zaliha said there were 4.8 million adult smokers or 21.3% of the total adult population, and they are also a health hazard to non-smokers because of passive smoke inhalation.

“The Health Ministry is also noticing a trend of vaping among youths, whereby those aged between 13 and 17 using ecigarettes have risen from 211,084 in 2017 to 301,109 in 2022,” she said.

She said there are 186,817 teens indulging in conventional smoking in 2022.

“This data presents a clear scenario that calls for our immediate attention and that is why we call upon everyone to support the government’s initiative to rid the nation of smoking by 2040 and to support the GEG Bill,” said Dr Zaliha.

She added that this was also why the Health Ministry pushed hard for the tabling of the Bill multiple times in Parliament, as well as the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023.

She said she hopes the Bill can be tabled in the next Parliament sitting.

The GEG Bill seeks to ban the use, possession and sale of cigarettes and vape products for those born after Jan 1, 2007, among other things.

She said this initiative can only work with the full support of all stakeholders.

Earlier, Dr Zaliha said the No Tobacco Day programme was to educate the public on the dangers and health hazards of smoking any form of cigarettes.