KUALA LUMPUR: The government should not lift the ban on smaller-sized packs of cigarettes, or “kiddy packs”, as the items are more appealing to social smokers and children.
Social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the arguments that the smaller packs of cigarettes could help to reduce smoking and sale of illicit cigarettes was unreasonable as both products were easy to get.
“The government should not buy the argument that the small pack could help stop smokers from buying contraband cigarettes.
“We should keep the ban on the kiddy packs to save our children,” he said in a statement today.
Lee was responding to reports that the government was considering bringing back the kiddy packs, containing 10 sticks of cigarettes as they were more affordable.
He also stressed that the smaller packs were designed to attract casual smokers, women and children.
“It will lure more people, especially the children, to buy and try smoking cigarettes. It will then develop into an addiction where the new smokers eventually become regular consumers of the tobacco industry,” he said.
He suggested that the authorities should focus on stopping the public from smoking by reducing access to purchase cigarettes by strict licensing, decrease their affordability through price hike as well as make the products less appealing through plain packaging or those with graphic images.