On average, 76 Malaysians die prematurely from tobacco use every day – a tragic and completely unnecessary loss of life. — AFP Relaxnews

Tobacco is the greatest cause of preventable and premature death today, linked to all major chronic diseases. It causes 22% of all cancer deaths locally and 80% of lung cancer deaths globally. But most smokers will likely die of heart disease – smoking triples the risk of dying from it. The cost to the nation is enormous, at RM3bil a year.

That’s the plan of the government’s “Generational End Game” or “Gegar-18” proposal to ban the sale of tobacco products to those born from 2005 onwards, starting next year.

End Game is a great move, but ultimately, we also need a public that understands how important anti-smoking measures are for the nation’s health. We need people to take a stand against smoking. Will you?