Over 30,000 notices issued for smoking offences in first half of 2022

A total of 30,311 notices for offences related to smoking in public places were issued from January to June this year, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says.

"Congratulations to the KKMPutrajaya Inspectorate and Legal Unit enforcement personnel. InshaAllah, enforcement will be ramped up from July-December! #GEG #NoSmoking," he said in a Twitter post today.

The notices were issued under Section 32B of the Control of Tobacco Products Regulations (PPKHT) 2004.

In the same post, Khairy also shared PPKHT Enforcement data from 2018 to last year, which saw a total of 57,268 notices for smoking in public places issued in 2018, 50,946 in 2019, 34,338 in 2020 and 15,163 in 2021.

Meanwhile, Rakan Strategik Gegar Wanita, in a statement today, voiced hope that all MPs, especially female elected representatives, would support the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill which is expected to be tabled at this Parliament session.
 
Malaysian Women for Tobacco Control and Health Association (MyWatch) president Roslizawati Md Ali, representing Rakan Strategik Gegar Wanita, also urged other enforcement agencies to assist the health ministry in its efforts to curb the trade of illicit cigarettes.

Rakan Strategik Gegar Wanita is a coalition comprising MyWatch, the National Cancer Society Malaysia, the National Drug Prevention Association, the Malaysian Council For Child Welfare, the Malaysian Association of Adolescent Health and Ikram Health Malaysia.