SEREMBAN: Tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes will be reduced effective June as the Government att­empts to bring down the estimated 100,000 deaths caused due to smoking-related illnesses.

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.

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 the 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. It wants these to be further reduced to 1mg (nicotine) and 10mg (tar) in due course.

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

“I’ll make the necessary announcement in May and the tobacco industry will have to follow suit by June,” said Liow.

Under the proposed amendments to CTPR, the ministry is also proposing to have every cigarette imprinted with the words “Smoking is hazardous to health”.

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.

• Aeon director: GST won’t affect group
• Petronas Chemicals Group to invest RM3bil in capital expenditure
• Weak CPO prices hit Boustead profit
• April CPI up 1.7% on higher food prices
• Report: AirAsia X sets indicative price for IPO
• MAEI sees 3%-4% rise in electrical, electronics exports
• Cahaya Mata Sarawak to invest in grinding plant
• Star to leverage on new, fast-growing businesses
• No plans for MBO, says Vincent Lee
• Axiata said to weigh bid for Axis Telekom Indonesia
• Scomi active as CEO raises stake
• Bumi Armada shares rise after a strong Q1
• BToto buys RM20m REDtone shares
• Ingress gets notice from joint-offerors
• Support Line

• Anti-Islamist protests flare following London attack
• 'British solider' butchered in suspected Islamist attack

• Ice queen Nicol into British Open quarters
• Australia to consider following ban on anchor putters
• Intxausti wins 16th stage, Nibali still keeps pink jersey
• Indonesia drawn to meet China again – in knockout stage
• Results worldwide
• Malacca sprinter Mohd Azam Masri out to create history by winning five events in MSSM meet
• Athletics runs in the veins of Vallabouy family
• Chinese long jumper Jinzhe claims another Olympic scalp
• Dane Jorgensen’s wish is to avoid Chinese ace Lin Dan in World Championships
• National badminton team’s lack of depth a glaring factor in home tourney
• Khim Wah-V Shem perform above expectations in Sudirman Cup debut
• Jindapon aims to qualify for 2016 Olympics
• Kenichi’s goal is to take Japan into Sudirman Cup semi-finals
• Dong-keun shows he’s a capable replacement
• Harrison makes swift U-turn

• Please wait.

• What comes after WYY?
• We have to be humane to all who are put under arrest
• We must look at language as an asset
• Lower net profit for AirAsia
• Quality schools hold the key to good education
• A tale of two schools
• A-G to proceed with statutory rape charges against Riduan
• Anti-Islamist protests flare following London attack
• Man jailed and fined for drink-driving
• Felda fails to get default judgment against Saifuddin