KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 3,419 notices were issued nationwide for smoking in eateries from January until October 24 this year, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.
He said Terengganu had the highest number of violations with 652 notices issued followed by Pahang (601), Sarawak (365), Perak (356), and Kuala Lumpur (303).
Khairy said the notices were issued under Section 32B of the Enforcement Regulations of Tobacco Control 2004.
“The Health Ministry has intensified anti-smoking enforcement activities in all eateries, especially now that the government has allowed dine-ins again,” he said in a statement today.
All eateries, including air-conditioned and open-air diners, had been gazetted as smoke-free areas effective January 1, 2019 under Regulation 11(1)(d) of the Tobacco Control Regulation (PPKHT) Regulations 2004 (amended) 2018.
Khairy said the smoking ban was not intended to punish smokers but to avoid complications to smokers as well as secondhand smokers, namely those around smokers.
He said MoH is committed to helping smokers kick the habit, adding that registration for the mQuit integrated quit smoking service can be done via www.jomquit.com. – Bernama, October 26, 2021
