Malaysia aims to cut retail tobacco outlet numbers

Malaysia has adopted two main strategies to eventually make the entire country a smoking-free zone, according to a story in The Sun Daily citing a statement by the Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

One strategy was to increase, in stages, the country’s smoking-free areas, while the other was to reduce the number of places where cigarettes could be sold.

“These are two of the strategies to control and reduce the number of smokers,” Subramaniam was quoted as saying.

“Eventually, we are hopeful that the country can be declared a smoking-free zone although we do not know when that can be realised.”

Speaking during a news conference in Putrajaya, Subramaniam said another long-term measure was to raise the price as well as the duty on cigarettes.

As part of the event, the minister handed over certificates of appreciation to six retailers and traders who had voluntarily stopped selling cigarettes at their premises.

Praising the initiative by the shopkeepers, Subramaniam said he hoped that more retailers and traders in Putrajaya, the federal government administrative center, would emulate their example.

He said that as a ministry responsible for maintaining the health of the people, it was only proper that greater restrictions on smoking be enforced at the ministry itself.

As such, he said, since the monitoring and enforcement of restrictions on smoking were implemented at the ministry on May 1, 13 notices of offences and seven warnings had been issued.

Furthermore, all staff at the ministry who smoked had been instructed to attend programs aimed at helping them to give up the habit, while employees who did not smoke were being told of the dangers of cigarette smoke, he said.