COMMENT | 'Generational End Game' for smoking can be a good idea

COMMENT | I don't smoke, and if you have been following my writing for a while, you would have gathered that not only do I not smoke, I am a pretty big anti-smoking advocate too.

Anytime a sin tax is increased for cigarettes, I am among the first to cheer. Anytime a new anti-smoking campaign comes up, I will support it, provided it is done correctly.

So, the current announcement of the "Generational End Game" by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is something that I think is a brilliant idea. Under the plan, anyone born in 2005 or later will be banned from buying cigarettes. Once this law is enacted, all those who are 17 years now will never be able to buy cigarettes in Malaysia.

As I said, this is a good idea, even though it is obviously taking the lead from New Zealand, whose government is currently trying to enact a similar law that will see all those born in 2008 and later being banned from smoking. There is no problem emulating