KUALA LUMPUR: Many people are praising the move by the Health Ministry to ban smoking at all eateries nationwide which takes effect today.
Among them was Julieza Norziela Jaafar, a 30-year-old mother who previously had a hard time trying to find a smoke-free eatery where her whole family can dine together.
She said that this was due to her fears over her two children’s health, especially when it comes to the exposure to second hand smoke.
“As a mother, the gazetted smoking prohibition will have a positive impact especially on the health of my children.
“Besides improving the air quality at public premises, it removes the hassle for me to look for eateries with no-smoking areas every time my family go out to eat.
“Now I am able to eat out with my children anywhere (restaurants),” she told NSTP today.
The Health Ministry implemented smoking ban at nine types of public premises beginning today, where those wishing to light up are required to stay at least three metres away from these premises.
Another restaurant customer, Saiful Anwar Othman, who tried to quit smoking before falling back into the habit, lauded the prohibition as a positive move to curb the unhealthy habit.
The 54-year-old, who had gone without a puff for four years before succumbing to it recently, said that the three-metre distance for smokers from the gazetted premises would help in the efforts to stamp out the addiction to nicotine.
“Usually when we hang out at mamak restaurants, at least a few sticks (of cigarettes) will be lit up.
“But if one has to get up (from the dining table at restaurants) and walk three metres away from the eatery, this may discourage the habit.
“This is because it takes such effort to light up,” he said with a laugh, pointing at nearby trees across the restaurant where smokers are likely to congregate to smoke.
Having just completed a running event, Daphne Lee Ming Siew said smokers should only be allowed to light up five metres away from the premises, instead of three.
She said this to make sure that none of the people in the premises were exposed to second hand smoke.
“It should have been five metres because the wind could still blow the smoke back into the eateries,” she said.
Private company staff Jenny Lam Lei Yi, was happy with the smoking ban as it would force smokers to respect other people’s health.
“I always suffer from shortness of breath each time I caught whiff of (cigarette) smoke. Now I can enjoy meals at restaurants without any worries,” said the 37-year-old.