Materia Medica Malaysiana

Sleeping with the enemy is sure death

A COMPANY is looking for support from the Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs for its campaign against youths below 18 from using a particular product.

Is there any other association that would grab the opportunity as the MAYC did with two tobacco companies recently? The company may not be as famous as the two tobacco companies, but the product is almost similar to cigarettes. In fact, there is virtually no difference, except that this product cannot be smoked because it is a drink. Otherwise, everything else is similar, including the price and the packaging. More specifically, it too contains at least 4,000 chemicals, about a dozen confirmed toxic to the body, and some known to be cancer-causing. To show how dangerous it is, on one side of the packing is a clear health warning that the product can endanger health. So, under the circumstances, there is certainly nothing wrong in supporting yet another campaign, especially if it will further bolster the name and "fame" of the MAYC as a responsible organisation that cares for the health of its members affiliated through more than 500 youth clubs. And especially when the majority are Malays, known to be the major users of similar toxic substances, including hard drugs.

Oh yes, before one forgets, this product has been documented to have addictive properties as well — equivalent to some of the hard drugs, such as heroin — the country's number one enemy for the last three decades. But that should not matter, if cigarettes do not! In any case, unlike cigarettes, this new product is documented not to cause environmental pollution or second-hand smoke that has resulted in millions of innocent deaths. But make no mistake, it can still cause the same range of diseases — notably cancer and heart diseases — so it should rank with smoking as the leading cause of death among Malaysian youths and adults. This figure stands at about 10,000 per year, although the youths may be somehow "spared" because of the so-called campaign. Unfortunately, not their parents, uncles and aunts, grandparents or their loved ones — as long as they are adults. The product has the licence to "kill" adults. This is based on the campaign tagline that confirms the use of the product an "adult choice"! It is prohibited only for youths. Here is the major snag. In fact, this has been the one single question that must seriously be considered. Ever since the oxymoronic tagline was launched it has boggled the minds of youths. For example, the youths ask: Doesn't the product induce the same cancer in adults?. Or, for that matter, a host of other diseases associated with the product? If so, why is it prohibited for youths, but not so for adults?" The MAYC may want to share its wisdom on how it reconciled these stark contradictions. How did it convince hundreds of thousands of members to accept such double standards? To quote the words of the MAYC president during the recent launch of its anti-smoking campaign: "The companies realise that only adults are more aware of the health hazards from smoking and can make a decision and choice on that matter." This is a familiar line propagated by the tobacco companies that MAYC failed to probe more deeply. It is a flawed argument debunked by many bodies across the globe, including the World Health Organisation years ago.

Let us make it clear yet again: there is no such thing as "adult choice" when it comes to any substances that causes addiction. For example, what choice do addicts have in controlling their habits? Similarly, for those addicted to cigarettes, which is why there are so many of them; the majority of whom are unable to stop or quit despite knowing the dangers, though belatedly! The previous Minister of Youth and Sports spoke about this publicly recently. Maybe the MAYC has missed it, otherwise it would have shown more concern and not endorsed a dubious campaign doomed to fail.

Because of this, the youth of Malaysia have been ridiculed by their counterparts all over the world. They clearly saw the foolishness of what the MAYC is trying to do. This is the same group who applauded the Prime Minister when he launched the Tak Nak campaign without the involvement of tobacco money. But, today we are sending a very different signal, that it is okay to sleep with the enemy! In this case, tobacco is the enemy, and it definitely kills — youth and adults alike! It is very important for the MAYC to reflect on its recent move so that its leadership role is not called into question.