For his part, Khairy has said that offenders will not be criminalised or given jail time. In a TikTok video, the Rembau MP said his ministry is targeting the black market for tobacco products, adding that individuals that have been caught smoking will only be fined RM50. He added that the GEG bill will not contribute to the growth of the black market, instead helping to reduce public demand for cigarettes and vapes.Malaysia isn’t the first country to propose a blanket generational smoking ban.
There’s evidence that punitive punishment is ineffective at actually curbing substance use. Experts at the UN say the global war on drugsand disproportionately affect minorities and marginalised communities, often over low-level offences. Worse, it has only served to fuel the black market for these substances, all the while being a spectacular waste of public funds.
Governments were urged to move away from criminalising substance use and instead implement community-based measures such as rehabilitation. While this example centres around hard drugs, there are still lessons to be learned here, as more and more countries seek to curb smoking and other instances of nicotine use.July 29, 2022
Since this issue is already being politicised in social media, our stance on the matter should be made clear here. Any effort to eradicate smoking and vaping is welcome – the effect this habit has on our collective health is far too great to be ignored. But we’re also proponents of personal privacy and any infringement should not be taken lightly, especially if it can be abused for personal or political gain.
Of course, this is just the first reading of the bill, and there’s plenty of scope for it to be tweaked, as I’m sure it will be. But it’s also vital that people remain vocal about the proposal’s flaws while it is still open for amendment, in order for it to be as effective as possible – while being fair to those most vulnerable to it.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: malaysiakini - 🏆 20. / 51 Read more »
Source: malaysiakini - 🏆 20. / 51 Read more »
Source: msianinsight - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Source: Soya_Cincau - 🏆 16. / 55 Read more »
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »