Smoking in Malaysia was first dealt with in legislation requiring a general

warning message A warning label is a label attached to a product, or contained in a product's instruction manual, warning the user about risks associated with its use, and may include restrictions by the manufacturer or seller on certain uses. Most of them ...

on all

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...

packaging in 1976.

Smoking ban Smoking bans, or smoke-free laws, are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor work ...

s in public places started to be implemented in the 1980s. Selling of cigarettes to persons under the age of 18 has been forbidden since May 14, 1994.

Tobacco advertising Nicotine marketing is the marketing of nicotine-containing products or use. Traditionally, the tobacco industry markets cigarette smoking, but it is increasingly marketing other products, such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products ...

was outlawed in 2003; since January 1995, showing cigarette packaging in advertisements had been forbidden, and

print media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information e ...

advertising had been restricted to only one page. Malaysia is ranked 78th in per capita cigarette consumption, with an average of 441.2 cigarettes smoked per person aged 15 or older annually. Smoking doubled between the 1970s and 1995. Smoking is technically banned in hospitals/clinics, airports, public lifts and toilets, air-conditioned restaurants, public transport, government premises, educational institutions, petrol stations,

Internet cafe The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

s, shopping complexes and private office spaces with central air-conditioning; however, enforcement is an issue and is often very lax, many simply ignore the rule. Starting 1 June 2010, it is an offence to smoke at private office spaces with central air-conditioning. Smokers flouting the ban may be fined up to RM10,000, or two years of imprisonment. At September 2016, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia aims to reduce numbers of smokers in Malaysia for over 15% as about 3 billion MYR was spent due to the increasing of chronic

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. As of 1 January 2019, it is illegal to smoke in all restaurants and eateries in Malaysia. Additionally, owners of restaurants who fail do not display a no-smoking fine can face fines of up to RM3,000, or a prison sentence of six months.

Prevalence

Out of Malaysia's 32 million population, the number of smokers is estimated to be 7 million or 21.8 percent.

Illegal cigarettes issue

Malaysia has now set the minimum price for legitimate cigarettes, which as of 2016, is MYR 17 and must have at least 20 sticks. Illicit cigarettes, however, can be sold at a lower price and can have fewer than 20 sticks in each pack. The number of legal cigarettes has declined due to illicit cigarettes since its peak in 2003.

Trans-Pacific Partnership lobby

In 2013, Malaysia proposed exempting tobacco from the

Trans-Pacific Partnership The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, was a highly contested proposed trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim economies, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singa ...

's trade protections.

Prevalence

Illegal cigarettes issue

Trans-Pacific Partnership lobby

References

See also