Government urged to reduce cigarette yields gradually in Malaysia

Malaysia’s Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, has said that the tar nicotine and carbon monoxide deliveries of cigarettes sold in Malaysia would be lowered in September 2013 and then reduced again a year later, according to a story in The Sun Daily.

But a research company has called for a slow and gradual reduction in deliveries to allow smokers to adapt to the change.

OSK Research said that an abrupt reduction in deliveries would likely lead to smokers consuming more cigarettes or to them switching to illicit products with higher tar and nicotine levels. ‘We think both scenarios defeat the purpose of promoting a healthier population,’ it said.

OSK Research added that it saw a challenging regulatory environment for the tobacco industry, especially after the general election.

‘The government is looking to expand no-smoking zones in the country, although the most immediate regulatory risk could be the resumption of tobacco excise duty hikes come the 2014 budget announcement,” it said.