Hun Sen smoking in public (Photo: AP)Law for 100pc smoke-free zones soon
2007/12/06
News Straits Time (Malaysia)
BANGKOK: Malaysia was one of nine Asean countries that pledged to make their public spaces 100 per cent smoke free at a regional workshop against smoking yesterday.
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam joined in the pledge made at the workshop, organised by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca).
The Health Ministry's health education division senior assistant director Munshi Abdullah and Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control secretary-general Shaari Ahmad Junid represented the country at the workshop entitled "Implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 8 -- Towards a 100 per cent smoke-free environment".
Article 8 requires those who have ratified the FCTC to implement effective measures to protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke in public places, including the workplace, public transport and indoor public spaces.
Malaysia, which ratified the FCTC in 2005, is required to implement Article 8 by 2010.
Munshi presented Malaysia's action plan, which has yet to be approved by the Health Ministry, yesterday. He said the government would begin legislating towards making public places 100 per cent smoke free by next year.
He said the priorities would be eating places -- restaurants, coffee shops, bars and pubs and entertainment outlets -- as well as government and private workplaces.
In the proposed action plan, he added, the tobacco industry's efforts to undermine or subvert tobacco control efforts would be watched closely.
"There will be a constant monitoring of the tobacco industry's strategies to promote tobacco use and influence policy change."
Shaari said for Malaysia to be successful in implementing Article 8, all parties should "lead by example by not being smokers themselves and by supporting any policies and current regulations to curb tobacco use".
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam joined in the pledge made at the workshop, organised by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca).
The Health Ministry's health education division senior assistant director Munshi Abdullah and Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control secretary-general Shaari Ahmad Junid represented the country at the workshop entitled "Implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 8 -- Towards a 100 per cent smoke-free environment".
Article 8 requires those who have ratified the FCTC to implement effective measures to protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke in public places, including the workplace, public transport and indoor public spaces.
Malaysia, which ratified the FCTC in 2005, is required to implement Article 8 by 2010.
Munshi presented Malaysia's action plan, which has yet to be approved by the Health Ministry, yesterday. He said the government would begin legislating towards making public places 100 per cent smoke free by next year.
He said the priorities would be eating places -- restaurants, coffee shops, bars and pubs and entertainment outlets -- as well as government and private workplaces.
In the proposed action plan, he added, the tobacco industry's efforts to undermine or subvert tobacco control efforts would be watched closely.
"There will be a constant monitoring of the tobacco industry's strategies to promote tobacco use and influence policy change."
Shaari said for Malaysia to be successful in implementing Article 8, all parties should "lead by example by not being smokers themselves and by supporting any policies and current regulations to curb tobacco use".
5 comments:
The more HUN ZEN smokes, the more we are happy because his going to die soon.
I agree with you 100%, brother.
I have not seen him smoke on TV lately. Maybe he quits.
If Hun Sen die, who will feed his dogs???
In that case, his dog will look out for themselves.
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