Consider This: Smoking (Part 2) - Education Vs Criminalisation

Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has announced plans to permanently prohibit anyone born after January 1st, 2005 from purchasing smoking products - which include cigarettes, vape, electronic cigarettes, cigars, shisha, and the like. Close to half of all adult men in Malaysia light up and tobacco is said to be responsible for about a fifth of cancer cases in Malaysia. But there are those who see the ‘endgame’ as excessive state intervention, or even too idealistic to be implemented successfully. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Pantai Hospital KL and Datuk Seri Idris Jala, CEO of PEMANDU Associates.