CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The Health Ministry will look into proposal to reduce the nicotine rate in cigarettes as part of efforts to reduce addiction among smokers.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said the proposal involves efforts to reduce the current nicotine rate in cigarettes to a lower rate between 0.3 to 0.5 miligrammes (mg) for each grammes of tobacco being used in a cigarette.
"We are looking into this proposal thoroughly, we are still studying and there needs to be a meeting and discussion with cigarette industry," he said after the launching the PKR Election machinery for the Cameron Highlands by-election on Thursday night.
Dr Lee was commenting on a Berita Harian report yesterday which proposed that the government reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes which had became the bane of smokers.
Psychiatrict and quit smoking consultant, Associate Professor Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin, University of Malaya (UM), reportedly said it should be implemented in tandem with the ban involving non-smoking areas, to control smoking among Malaysians, and to reduce the number of smokers in the future.
Since 1 June 2015, nicotine content in cigarettes in Malaysia is set at a maximum of 1 mg, after it was lowered from 1.5 mg.
Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was previously reported to have said that there is no need to revise nicotine and tar emissions rates as outlined in the Tobacco Revenue Control (Amendment) Regulations 2017.
Dr Lee said they id not set a time frame to study the proposed reduction of nicotine levels but if it proves to be successful, it could reduce addiction among smokers.
He said there were obstacle to implement the proposal as the cigarette industry did not agree especially on business grounds.
"For example, if the rate of nicotine (in tobacco) is (set lower) then it reaches a zero percent rate in tobacco, then it is no longer a cigarette.