Malaysia considers banning tobacco for future generations

The government plans to ban cigarette sales for future generations in Malaysia, following New Zealand's recent decision to ban tobacco sales to anyone born after 2008. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will introduce a new tobacco control bill with the aim of an "endgame"[1]-[2] smoking in the country in the long term[3].

A coalition of 57 civil society organisations have urged MPs to support the government's proposed cigarette ban as part of future tobacco control legislation to be debated in March, which aims to create smoke-free generations.[4]The NGOs, which bring together specialist associations, doctors and cancer organisations, said Malaysia's national tobacco control strategic plan aims to reduce smoking rates to less than 15 per cent by 2025 and less than 5 per cent by 2040. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has yet to say when the proposed legislation would come into force or reveal the cut-off year for the sales ban.

A prevalence that remains high in Malaysia

According to the 2020 report Malaysia’s accession to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), more than one in five people aged 15 years and above in Malaysia smoke regularly. Smoking prevalence has declined steadily but slightly in the country from an estimated 29.6% in 2000 to 24.7% in 2010 and 22.8% in 2015, but large gender and age disparities remain. About 40% of males aged 15 years and above smoke regularly compared to only 1.2% of females. Smoking prevalence is 24% among males aged 15-19 and nearly 50% among males aged 30-35.

According to the WHO global report on trends in tobacco use prevalence 2000-2025[5] (third edition), the prevalence of tobacco use in Malaysia is expected to fall to 19.6 % by 2025. However, the target of limiting prevalence to 15 %, set under its Strategic Plan for Noncommunicable Diseases 2016-2025, would not be achieved.

Concern over new nicotine products

The 57 organisations have called on the government to also include vaping products in the sales ban. Citing the changing consumption of these new products, the health organisations point out that the number of e-cigarette users in Malaysia has increased from around 600,000 in 2016 to more than 1.1 million, according to the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS).

For these associations, the ban on the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products to young people is very important to ensure that the concept of "harm reduction" is not hijacked by the tobacco industry for the sole purpose of continuing to sell these new products.

©Tobacco Free Generation

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Keywords: Malaysia, endgame, smoking, youth, tobacco-free generation [1] The endgame is part of tobacco control. The aim is, alongside proven measures (tax increases, smoke-free places, health warnings, etc.), to consider new complementary measures that are part of the aim of achieving a tobacco-free generation, i.e. a prevalence of less than 5% for age groups reaching adulthood and to keep these generations tobacco-free. [2] Thomson G, Edwards R, Wilson N, et al What are the elements of the tobacco endgame? Tobacco Control 2012;21:293-295. [3] Boo Su-Lyn, Khairy Hints At Smoking Ban For Next Generation, Code Blue, January 15, 2022, accessed January 17, 2022 [4] Tarrence Tan, Health NGOs urge MPs to back Bill on smoking ban for future generations, The Star, January 17, 2022, accessed the same day [5] WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2000–2025, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization National Committee Against Smoking |