Include us in discussions over generational tobacco ban, coffee shop owners tell Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — The Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association (MSCSPGA) today said that the government had not consulted it over the Generational End Game (GEG) of the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022.

MSCSPGA president Wong Teu Hoon said in a statement dated May 25 that the association had shared its concerns with the government but has yet to receive any feedback.

“We think the Bill should be reviewed by the recently appointed parliamentary special select committee health and domestic trade, entrepreneurship, cost of living and agriculture,” Wong said.

He also expressed concerns that resources were sufficient to support the Bill asking if the responsibility to enforce it will fall into the hands of retailers instead.

“We’ve seen similar issues with firework-related enforcement in recent years and it is a seasonal activity during festive seasons only,” he said.

Further, almost 60 per cent of tobacco products in the country were from the illegal trade and the MSCSPGA strongly believes that the GEG would worsen this issue if enforcement was inadequate, he added.

“Currently, the sales of legal tobacco products in retail shops make up 30 per cent of total revenue.

“The GEG will impact revenue of retail shops at a time when the country is preparing for an unprecedented global recession,” he said.

Besides that, implementing the law would be difficult because it is different from the minimum age for alcohol as the GEG generation gets older every year, he said.

Last Monday, the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced its readiness to table the Bill, which contains two aspects: the control of smoking products and the GEG policy.

In April, local vape industry players pushed back against MoH’s proposal for a GEG for vape usage, urging the latter to withdraw existing restrictions and bans on the import of nicotine-containing vape products to allow products to be imported legally and pay taxes.

The Bill, which seeks to ban the use, possession and sale of cigarettes and vape products to those born after 2007, was introduced by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin last year.

It was referred to a Parliament Special Select Committee (PSSC) after several MPs raised criticism over its drastic implementation, including complaints that it could be unconstitutional as it meant youths would have no freedom of choice over smoking.