Health Ministry agrees to reduce fine in Tobacco Control Bill

The Department of Health has agreed to change the amount of fines from RM5,000 to RM500 or community service orders for offenses committed by the Endgame Generational Group (GEG) born after January 1, 2007 , under the Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Bill 2022.

Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this followed a meeting between the ministry and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Women, Children and Social Development yesterday.

“To ensure that the act is not considered punitive, offenses committed by the GEG group are only set at a maximum fine of RM500 or community service. ‘first come up with compounds based on the offenses committed,’ he said when presenting the bill for a second reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Khairy said the health ministry had agreed to amendments at the Dewan Rakyat committee level to prevent body checks from being carried out on anyone under the age of 18.

He said the provision covering the possession of tobacco products, smoking equipment, tobacco-related products and smoking devices would also be changed.

Khairy said that to ensure the law is enforced well and in an orderly manner, the Ministry of Health would continuously hold engagement sessions with stakeholders such as health-related NGOs.

He added that each provision of the bill would be constantly monitored and evaluated.

“The government will set up an independent administrative committee to check and monitor all provisions of the bill, including checks on generations born after January 1, 2007,” he said.

In the nearly 50-minute presentation, Khairy said the bill was very important and should not be delayed any further to help curb the practice of smoking in Malaysia, especially for the younger generation who would lead the country.

He said the bill would also reduce the burden of treatment costs borne by the government for smoking-related illnesses.

He also said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that all children received the best possible protection from any form of use of dangerous tobacco products.

Khairy said the number of e-cigarette users and vapers has been on the rise, especially among children and teenagers, since the products entered the Malaysian market in 2015.

He said the issue was of concern because control related to e-cigarettes and vaping cannot be fully implemented under existing laws.

“The proposal for a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vapes that has been suggested for the GEG group aims to reduce the percentage of smokers to less than 5% of the Malaysian population and achieve a tobacco-free nation. by 2040,” he said. said.

Maria J. Book