Malaysia is studying the viability of imposing a tobacco product display ban as part of the country’s “generational endgame” strategy to end the smoking habit. If implemented, shopkeepers might not be able to display tobacco products in their premises – a move that has been implemented in many countries such as Australia, Singapore and Britain. Health...
ON January 27, 2022, the Health Ministry announced plans to ban tobacco and other smoking products for those born after 2005. Further clarification revealed that the proposed ban would also cover vape and vaping products. In a recent survey by the Retail and Trade Brand Advocacy Malaysia Chapter (RTBA Malaysia), the vast majority of respondents felt...
Malaysians aged 17 today will not be able to legally buy tobacco next year when they turn 18, or ever in their lifetime. KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 – The government plans to prohibit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to people born after 2005 in a bid to outlaw smoking for the next generation. This...
The current debate on tobacco harm reduction in Malaysia is unbalanced, with far too great an emphasis on taxation and the state’s role in dictating the health of its citizens. In a paper published recently by the Property Rights Alliance (International Best Practices for Tobacco and Nicotine Public Policy), which we co-authored with three Malaysian...
Once upon a time, menthol cigarettes were regularly (but falsely) marketed by its makers as a less harsh and less harmful alternative to “normal” cigarettes. Menthol is a compound that has a minty cooling effect when added to cigarettes. It also has the additional advantage of blocking pain receptors in the mouth and throat. Instead of being...
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 21.3 per cent of adults aged 15 and above, or 4.88 million Malaysians, are smokers, with a higher percentage of male smokers. Malaysia has spent about RM15 billion (1.7 per cent of 2012's gross domestic product) on tobacco-related healthcare costs. Despite the evidence of significant potential...
Tobacco harm reduction, a tobacco control strategy that encourages smokers who cannot quit smoking to switch to harm reduced alternatives, is gaining momentum worldwide. According to a professor at Imperial College London, up to 98 million consumers worldwide have already made the switch to harm reduced alternatives such as vape and snus. In England, health authorities...
