CAP calls for higher cigarette tax to curb smoking among youths
Its senior education officer NV Subbarow says higher cigarette prices would make it more difficult for teenagers and young people to start smoking.
The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has called for an increase in cigarette taxes in the 2027 budget proposal to curb the rising smoking habit among youths in Malaysia. CAP senior education officer NV Subbarow cited statistics from the health ministry, showing that 43,019 secondary school students and 341 primary school students had started smoking.
Subbarow argued that higher prices make tobacco products less affordable, which would reduce overall consumption and encourage users to quit or cut down on smoking. He also highlighted that smokers are spending nearly RM700 a month on cigarettes, which contain thousands of chemicals. CAP believes that an increase in the sales tax would reduce government spending by an average of RM16 billion annually on treating smoking-related diseases. The 2027 budget is expected to be tabled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Oct 9.
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- CAP calls for higher cigarette tax to curb smoking among youths freemalaysiatoday.com
