Published: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:44:00 PM
Updated: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:48:11 PM

Liow: Tar and nicotine levels to be reduced in cigarettes from June

By SARBAN SINGH

SEREMBAN: Tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes will be reduced effective June as the Government attempts to bring down deaths from smoking-related illnesses.

The tar content in each cigarette will be reduced from 20mg to 15mg while nicotine levels will be cut from 1.5mg to 1.3mg.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Government was bent on introducing new legislation this year because tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes sold here were too high.

"We will give the tobacco industry another two to three years to further cut the tar content from 15mg to 10mg and nicotine level from 1.3mg to 1mg," he said here Friday.

The Star had, in November, reported that the ministry was proposing amendments to the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (CTPR) 2004 to introduce tougher measures to discourage people, particularly the young, from picking up the habit.

The ministry had then proposed cuts in nicotine levels from 1.5mg to 1.25mg per stick and tar from 20mg to 15mg, and wanted these to be further reduced to 1mg and 10mg respectively in due course.

However, the tobacco industry requested that nicotine levels in cigarettes be reduced to 1.3mg and tar to 15mg from 2014 and to 1mg and 10mg respectively by 2018.

Liow said it was important that tar and nicotine levels be reduced as this would cut down on tobacco addiction.

"I'll make the necessary announcement in May and the tobacco industry will have to follow suit by June," he said.

Under the proposed amendments to CTPR, the ministry is also proposing to have every cigarette imprinted with the words "Smoking is hazardous to health". At present, the words are only printed on cigarette packs.

Also on the cards are provisions to compel manufacturers to increase the size of pictorial health warnings on the effects of smoking from at least 40% currently to 50% of each packet.

News

Published: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:44:00 PMUpdated: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:48:11 PM

Liow: Tar and nicotine levels to be reduced in cigarettes from June

By SARBAN SINGH

Published: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:44:00 PM
Updated: Friday January 18, 2013 MYT 5:48:11 PM