The idea of raising the smoking age in Malaysia from 18 to 21 seems like a bold move, but let’s be real—will it actually work? Indonesia’s recent decision to increase the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes has sparked similar suggestions here, with health advocates calling for Malaysia to follow suit. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While this might look like progress on paper, we’re still grappling with underage smoking in full view of everyone!
Take a walk past any school, and you’ll see plenty of teenagers, clearly under 18, puffing away like they’ve got a lifetime of stress behind them. And where are they getting these cigarettes? From petrol stations, convenience stores, and even the guy on the corner who probably thinks he’s doing some sort of civic duty by selling them cheap packs.
The current legal age to buy cigarettes is 18, but anyone who’s seen the local corner shop clerk pass a pack to a barely-teen without batting an eyelid knows enforcement is more myth than reality. It’s like telling a kid not to eat cookies before dinner, then leaving the jar wide open on the kitchen counter.
Raising the age limit to 21 sounds like a smart move—until you realize the actual problem is getting ignored. Enforcement is as flimsy as a wet tissue, and unless that’s fixed, even a 25-year-old age limit won’t make much difference. Kids are resourceful (and a little too brave for their own good). If they want to smoke, they’ll find a way. And, let’s be honest, petrol stations and small shops aren’t exactly Fort Knox when it comes to checking IDs.
Instead of just pushing the age limit up and hoping for the best, maybe it’s time to crack down on the real issue: the ease with which these teens get their hands on cigarettes in the first place. How about a little more attention to those “no-ID-no-cigarette” rules? Maybe even a stiff penalty for sellers who flout the law so they think twice before selling a pack to the next underage customer.
Raising the smoking age is a nice headline, but if we really want to see a change, it’s time to stop talking about age limits and start talking about actual enforcement. Until then, those petrol station pit stops are just going to keep fueling the problem—literally.
Shamini Daniel is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.