The Challenge of Implementing Smoking Prevention Measures in Malaysia: An Analysis from a Hadith Perspective

Abstract

In 1987, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared May 31st as World No Tobacco Day to address the tobacco epidemic and deaths due to smoking. In 2017, WHO stated that the tobacco industry is a major contributor to the global pollution crisis, impacting the health and well-being of the worldwide community. In line with WHO's goals, the Malaysian Ministry of Health proposed the Generational Endgame (GEG) policy to curb smoking and nicotine addiction among the younger generation. However, in 2023, the Malaysian government removed nicotine from the list of controlled substances, contradicting the efforts to control smoking and nicotine as per the WHO's aspirations. Accordingly, this study is presented to analyze the challenge of implementing smoking prevention measures in Malaysia based on the hadith perspective. Using the thematic textual analysis method, this qualitative study examines hadiths with the theme of preventing harm in the Kutub Sittah (The Six Major Books of Hadith) to propose guidelines for solving the dilemma of the consistency of the smoking and nicotine prevention agenda in Malaysia. This study concluded that a comprehensive implementation of the smoking prevention agenda in Malaysia is necessary to ensure public health and environmental sustainability. In conclusion, policy implementation initiatives such as GEG to prevent the culture of smoking in Malaysia should be maintained in line with the demands for the protection of mental well-being contained in maqāṣid al-sharī'ah (Objectives of Islamic Divine Law).