KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — All members of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara have called to play their part in supporting the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022 which is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this May.
Public health consultant Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said the bill needs to be passed to compensate the effects of nicotine on public health following the government's decision to remove electronic cigarette or vape liquid containing nicotine from the Poisons Act 1952.
Lokman Hakim said the government's efforts to tax vape liquids that have nicotine by removing them from the Poisons Act is good, but there are concerns that it will expose the people to uncontrolled nicotine consumption without the bill.
"We are worried about what will happen if the bill is not passed in Parliament while nicotine has been removed from the schedule in the Poisons Act 1952. It has many implications in the context of sales control, especially to children or those who are not old enough.
"For the sake of the future of the next generation, every representative and senator has a moral responsibility to pass this bill to ensure that a stricter and more comprehensive regulation or regulation can be implemented because we are all aware of the heavy impact and burden of smoking and vaping," he told Bernama.
Lokman who is also the International Medical University (IMU) vice-chancellor (research) was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement yesterday which assured the new bill to regulate all smoking products including smoking materials containing nicotine will not be delayed and will be tabled this May.
According to Anwar, the implementation of the bill was delayed due to many negative reactions from Members of Parliament.
Commenting further, Lokman Hakim hopes that the government has a comprehensive approach or planning to ensure that its action to remove nicotine-laced vape liquid from the Poisons Act does not have long-term adverse implications for the people from the aspect of health and nicotine addiction until the bill is brought and passed in Parliament later.
According to him, the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022 together with the Generational Endgame (GEG) policy whose presentation in Parliament has been delayed is a comprehensive document, among other things designed to strengthen tobacco control and protect the younger generation from getting caught up in the habit of smoking and vaping.
"We have to remember, Customs registration is only to collect tax on this vape liquid...how can we control sales if there is no law to control vape. That's why the country really needs this bill," said Lokman Hakim, who is also the former deputy director-general of Health (Public Health) at the Ministry of Health.
The Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022 was presented for the first and second readings in July and August last year. — Bernama
