Budget 2027: CAP Calls For Higher Cigarette Tax To Curb Smoking Among Youth

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Finance Ministry to consider increasing the sales tax on cigarettes in Budget 2027 as a measure to curb the rising smoking habit among youths.

CAP senior education officer N.V. Subbarow said the latest statistics showed that 43,019 secondary school students and 341 primary school students were found to be smoking, while smokers spend nearly RM700 a month on cigarettes containing 6,000 chemicals.

“Higher prices make tobacco products less affordable, which would reduce overall consumption and encourage users to quit or cut down on smoking.

“It would also make it more difficult for teenagers and young people to start smoking. Therefore, CAP believes that the time has come to impose a mandatory sales tax on cigarettes,” he said in a statement today.

Subbarow, who is also an anti-smoking activist, said an increase in the sales tax would reduce government spending by an average of RM16 billion annually on treating smoking-related diseases.

He said the World Health Organisation recommends price and tax measures as an effective way to reduce tobacco use, a policy that has been found to have a positive impact in many countries.

Budget 2027 is expected to be tabled by Prime Minister, who is also Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on Oct 9.

-- BERNAMA