KUALA LUMPUR: The government's plans to consider allowing designated smoking areas is not a 'u-turn' on ongoing efforts to create smoke-free areas in the country.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib, said designated smoking areas were an acceptable compromise to denormalise smoking.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, he also said that eateries and public facilities such as hospitals, schools, public transportation stations, and sports centres are already designated smoke-free areas.
"People cannot smoke in these areas under any circumstances. However, they are poorly enforced and sometimes, even those supposed to enforce the regulations are smoking themselves in those prohibited areas.
"(And) today, it is hard to find smokers lighting up in restaurants and bars in the United Kingdom (UK) and many European countries. But such a situation did not happen overnight as it took many years, campaigns, and denormalising measures.
"(Hence,) designating outdoor smoking areas is one such measure which has been proven to help in controlling secondhand smoke," he said.
On Saturday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government was considering allowing designated smoking areas near eateries in tight spaces as it was difficult for these premises to ensure compliance with the law. (reference: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/1014536/health-ministry-mulls...)
He said the plan for designated areas for smoking was in line with practices in developed countries including Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong.
The plan was also backed by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NSCM) which said it was a good progression of a wider move in creating more smoke-free areas in public areas. (reference: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/1015144/designated-smoking-ar...)
Meanwhile, Azrul also cited Japan as one of the successful countries that managed to establish designated smoking areas with a declining rate of smokers over the years.
"Interestingly, male smokers represented one in four people in 2022, when compared with one in two people in 2001, when the smoking rate among men was 48.4 per cent.
"Having designated smoking areas for decades did not result in more people smoking."
At the same time, Azrul also said the authorities must enforce the ban on smoking indoors.
"If you have to smoke, do it outside in a designated smoking area as the area should be a zone or shelter which is not enclosed or substantially enclosed and indicated as a place where a person can smoke.
"Smoking should be banned especially on streets adjacent to shopping areas such as malls and offices. There should be no smoking while walking."