Youth Sentiment: Overlooked in Public Health Discourse Youth sentiment in Malaysia is highly sought by leaders across the political spectrum and constantly scrutinised by analysts in an attempt to decrypt what they want and expect from their leaders. Yet, an area of youth sentiment that does not get as much attention is in public health, particularly in tobacco control and tobacco taxes.
Annually, more than 25,000 Malaysians die from smoking, and the cost-of-illness attributable to smoking is RM18.4 billion every year. Such health and economic burdens will be detrimental to future generations if policies are not implemented to address this. Given that the health and economic consequences of tobacco use disproportionately shape the future that young people will inherit, it is striking that this is not discussed at length.
Strong Youth Support That Surpasses Expectations
SERI’s national survey in the ‘Tobacco Tax for Big Impact’ report revealed not only strong support for higher tobacco tax among the general population but even stronger support among the youth. 85% of youth support an additional cigarette tax this year compared to 80% of support across the general population.
When respondents were asked whether increasing tobacco taxes would improve their perception of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, the majority said it would not affect their perception of the Prime Minister. This indicates that higher tobacco taxes are not a tax measure that would be detrimental to popularity. Interestingly, among youth aged 18-30, 56% said that increasing tobacco taxes would improve their perception of the Prime Minister, while 37% said it would not affect their perception.
Navigating Cost-of-Living
Concerns This level of support is especially significant given the broader economic context in Malaysia. Youth today are especially vulnerable to a challenging cost-of-living landscape. The fact that youth support for tobacco taxes remains robust suggests that they distinguish between taxes that burden essential living costs, and those that serve a legitimate public health purpose. This is supported by SERI’s report, which found that only 16% of youth viewed higher cigarette taxes as a moderate or large factor in their cost of living, similar to the general population’s view at 17%.
In other words, young Malaysians recognise tobacco taxes not as a cost-of-living penalty, but as a preventive measure with long-term benefits for individual health, the healthcare system, and society at large.
Youth Price-Sensitivity
This youth support matters for practical reasons as well. Younger people are generally more price-sensitive than the general population. They are more likely to quit or reduce smoking when faced with higher cigarette prices and crucially, are also less likely to pick up the habit in the first place due to higher prices acting as a deterrent. This exemplifies how tobacco taxes serve as a preventive tool most effective at improving the lives of future generations.
Tackling Cigarette Consumption and Vaping Concurrently
While there has been considerable attention on youth vaping, it is crucial to recognise that conventional tobacco consumption, such as cigarette smoking, still carries the highest prevalence rate among tobacco and nicotine products in Malaysia. According to the 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, the prevalence rates of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use are 16.8% and 5.8% respectively.
SERI’s ‘Tobacco Tax for Big Impact’ report also investigated the reported behavioural changes of smokers after the November 2025 cigarette tax hike. When smokers were asked about how they responded to the price increase, the most commonly reported behaviour change was smoking fewer cigarettes, while the second most common was attempting to quit. However, among youth smokers specifically, the second most reported response was switching to vapes. This underscores a need to tackle vape use and cigarette smoking concurrently.
Tackling both simultaneously requires holistic policymaking, one that pairs sustained tobacco tax increases with stronger regulations on vapes, with a ban the ideal option consistent with the Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s objectives.
A Rare Alignment
With tobacco taxes as a proven measure to reduce smoking rates, especially among youth, and with youth’s popularity for the tax policy being in alignment, this provides a rare opportunity to implement a popular and effective public health and fiscal policy. Mandating an annual tobacco tax increase of at least 5% in Budget 2027 is an opportunity not to be missed. The public mandate already exists; all that’s left is the political will to act. – August 6, 2026
Daniel Kittu is a Senior Researcher at SERI
SERI is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting evidence-based policies that address issues of inequality. For more information, please visit www.seri.my or email us at [email protected].