KUALA LUMPUR: The People's Health Forum has joined the chorus to urge all members of Parliament to vote for the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill, also known as the tobacco generational endgame (GEG).
The group, in a statement today, also reminded lawmakers not to engage with tobacco industry representatives and their sponsored groups which could be a violation to the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
"GEG is a core strategy to protect and prevent the new generations from picking up the smoking habit because the current law sends the wrong signal to youngsters that smoking is a legal and acceptable social behaviour after the legal age.
"GEG sets a different narrative, telling the young population that the government and the society will take action to protect them from harm by prohibiting smoking for them."
The group said GEG views the current smokers as victims of nicotine addiction.
"Without the GEG, assuming that the smoking prevalence would be at the status quo (21.3 per cent) and applying this to the current under-18 population, then we would have to expect an additional two million new smokers in future to add to the national healthcare and financial burden.
"Even if the GEG may not be perfect, and is only 90 per cent effective to prevent this young population from smoking, the government will be handling far fewer new smokers," the group said.
People's Health Forum also defended the government's decision to regulate e-cigarettes and vapes under the GEG and stressed that no amount of nicotine is safe.
"Nicotine is highly addictive and studies put it on par with cocaine and heroin.
"It has been the obvious trend for the industry to shift its focus to vape and e-cigarettes for the young people, using dubious and misleading claims that these are 'safer' and could be part of the 'harm reduction' strategy.
"Many fell for it, without realising the harm of E-cigarettes and Vaping Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)."
Furthermore, it added, vape and e-cigarettes could be used as gateway for users to pick up conventional cigarettes.
"According to a survey, 74 per cent of vapers have smoked cigarettes before, of which 40 per cent are currently both vape and cigarette smokers.
"Thus, it is fundamental for the government to take decisive action to control and regulate the use of vape and e-cigarette through this new law.
"People's Health Forum calls for all MPs to vote for the Bill, to always put public interest first. An MP's duty should include caring and protecting the new generations from harm," it said.
The Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill, that was tabled for second reading on Monday, seeks to ban those born in 2007 and onwards from smoking, purchasing or possessing tobacco and vaping products.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, on Tuesday, told the Dewan Rakyat that an independent committee would be set up to review and evaluate the bill.