Malaysians are not going to quit smoking and more and more are becoming
smokers every day. Price goes up to RM 100 per pack; the smokers will go on
buying cigarettes. You as a Minister can get Parliament to pass a law banning cigarettes
and this will solve the problem a bit but not all .It is a try and have to
start somewhere
RM21.50 for pack of
smokes, because they just won’t quit
| March 28, 2017
Drastic measures are necessary to discourage
the five million smokers in the country, says deputy health minister.
KUALA LUMPUR: Smokers can expect another blow to
their wallets very soon as the price of cigarettes will go up again – this time
to RM21.50 per pack.
According to The Star Online, this is among the
measures the government is taking to get more Malaysians to quit, following the
failure of its anti-smoking campaigns and the creation of no-smoking zones in
public areas.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the
government had burned an average of RM2 million a year since 2004 on
anti-smoking campaigns that had failed to discourage smokers.
“Although we have held numerous campaigns,
unfortunately, we are fighting against the odds.
“For example, we declared rest and recreation
areas to be restricted smoking areas, yet there are still people smoking
there,” he said in reply to a question from Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (BN-Sabak
Bernam) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Hilmi said the government had stopped using
billboards and was now using social media platforms to spread its anti-smoking
message.
More drastic measures, including raising the
price of cigarettes, will therefore be introduced, said the deputy minister.
“Cigarettes are currently sold at RM17 per pack
and the target is to raise the price to RM21.50 per pack.”
Other steps are to raise the minimum age to buy
cigarettes to 21, and the introduction of plain packaging to make it less
attractive.
He said the Tobacco Products and Cigarettes Bill
would also be tabled next year to better control the advertisement and sale of
cigarettes.
About five million Malaysians smoke. According
to the National Health and Morbidity Study, the number of smokers aged below 18
decreased to 24% in 2015 from 24.6% in 2011.
Hilmi said there were 774 centres in government
clinics, hospitals and institutions in the country to help smokers quit for
free.
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