Pay heed to other health issues

AS a concerned Malaysian, I am of the view that our current Madani government should focus on improving the overall health of the population. This would be more productive than expending time, energy and goodwill on narrow and divisive measures such as banning smoking and possession of tobacco products for certain age groups, such as those born after 2005.

Let me stress that I support the government’s efforts to turn Malaysia into a tobacco-free nation by 2040. However, it can be argued that smoking is just one of the health challenges facing Malaysia. Indeed, the obsession with smoking in public discourse often takes the oxygen (no pun intended) out of other pressing issues such as rising cases of obesity and diabetes.