GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has demanded that the government ban smoking at eateries completely in accordance with its original intention.
This, CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said, was because they did not see the logic of people smoking at a place where others have their meals.
“How can Malaysia move forward in tandem with other countries when we keep making u-turns in our decisions?
“The government is seen buckling under pressure from certain quarters,” he said today.
Elaborating, Idris said about 23 per cent of the Malaysian population were smokers, which means that almost one in every four was a smoker.
He added that seven out of 10 (or 8.6 million) adults were exposed to secondhand smoke at public places like restaurants, four out of every 10 adults inside their houses and four out of 10 adults at workplaces.
According to Idris, tobacco kills six million people worldwide annually and 600,000 of them were non-smokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke.
“The amount of money ‘burned’ by Malaysians (if they are to smoke a very conservative figure of three sticks of cigarettes per day) is RM4.791 billion, which is able to fund 399,218 students with yearly scholarships of RM12,000 each.
“A 2004 report showed that the medical cost in treating three of the most common smoking-related diseases per annum was RM3,053 million. This cost of treatment has skyrocketed several fold.
“With a RM1 trillion debt hanging around the necks of all Malaysians, why must the government give in to the pressure of irresponsible people who place profit and ‘pleasure’ above all? he asked.
It was reported that the Health Ministry would consider applications from operators of eateries who intend to open restaurants or cafes especially for smokers.
Deputy Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye had said that while there have yet to be any discussions on the matter, the ministry would consider such applications by business operators.
This followed the recent announcement on a ban in smoking at eateries starting from January next year.