Can kiddie packs solve contraband issue?

HEATED debates and vigorous campaigns have been waged over the proposal to reintroduce small cigarette packs.

To many, the issue is fairly straightforward — no to the small packs (or so-called kiddie packs) because it would be attractive to youths. Yet, the NST’s report on Sept 23 (“Divided over kiddie pack proposal”) very much highlights that the views are divided on the matter.

The proponents are calling for the reintroduction (of kiddie packs) because of the extraordinary number of contraband cigarettes sold in the country that apparently is fuelling the high levels of smoking. The idea is that if there are small packs, the price gap between tax-paid and smuggled cigarettes will be bridged, and smokers would “migrate” to legal cigarettes.

It is an interesting idea that the government should consider. Those against it would argue that smaller packs will encourage youngsters to smoke. The problem with this notion is that it takes away the focus from the real problem at hand — that there is an extremely high number of smuggled cigarettes in the market.

Unlike in other countries, where smoking can be curtailed with higher taxes and stringent regulations, the situation in Malaysia is different. The availability of cheap smuggled cigarettes is evident. Accessibility to contraband products is worrying as it is the cause of the high smoking levels in the country.

No one doubts there is a cigarette smuggling problem in the country. It jeopardises antismoking measures introduced via waves of regulations over the years. Indeed, Malaysia has an advanced tobacco control regulatory regime in the region, but it is failing. It is because we have the highest illegal cigarette trading levels in the world.

Regulations are in place to reduce smoking, too. Instead of finding practical and effective measures to address the problem, the anti-tobacco groups are asking for more regulations and restrictions.

What is evident is that there appears to be a lack of understanding on how to tackle this illicit trade. Enforcement is not going to solve it and it appears to be not getting anywhere. Yet, the contraband problem is driving smoking rates in the country, with five million smokers consuming billions of sticks a year. It requires the right solution to solve the right problem — even if that means overturning some regulations that were thought to be addressing the issue earlier.

The small packs solution attempts to bring back those who have chosen to smoke and those who choose to smoke illicit products as opposed to legal products. That would be a first step. Once these smokers are “captured” in the legal aspect, then control can be imposed on them.

The ideal situation is to prohibit smoking in the country. But that is not going to happen. It can be controlled, but the smokers need to be “legalised” first. So, the reintroduction of the 10-stick pack makes sense.

Now, we are losing smokers to illicit cigarettes and we cannot control them. We will lose them further if we don’t find alternatives to bring them to legal products fast.