Nation struggling to hit target of reducing smoking to 15%
PUTRAJAYA: There has been a drop in the prevalence of conventional smoking among adults in the country, but ecigarette usage has seen a rise, says the Health Ministry.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said progress has been made in reducing conventional smoking, which dropped from 21.3% to 19%.
However, the transition from smoking to vaping saw an increase from 3.2% in 2016 to 4.9% in 2019.
“Now it is at 5.8%,” he said here yesterday.
“In 2011, we had a baseline target of reducing the national smoking prevalence to 15%, but we are still struggling to achieve it as we approach 2025.
“Now, we have four percentage points left to achieve the target baseline. I hope we can hit 15% by December 2025,” he told reporters during a media briefing at his ministry on the enforcement of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which came into force on Oct 1.
Dzulkefly is confident that the 15% target can be achieved by next year following the enforcement of the Act on Tuesday.
The Act covers regulations on the registration, sale, packaging, labelling and prohibition of smoking in public places.
All out to curb smoking: Dzulkefly (second from right) showing the new ‘No Smoking’ signs. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
Previously, the 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Malaysia reported that it is unlikely for the country to reach its 15% target as it took 12 years to reduce the rate of tobacco smokers by four percentage points from 2011 to 2023.
Dzulkefly said enforcement of Act 852 could help reduce the tobacco smoking habit among adults.
According to the 2023 National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS 2023), the current national prevalence of tobacco smoking among those aged 15 and above stood at 19%, he added.
On vaping, Dzulkefly said his ministry will determine its prevalence in the future to better tackle the habit.
“Right now, the national prevalence of vaping is at 5.8%, so we will only be able to determine our targets once we have the figures tallied,” he said to a question on the milestone that the ministry is targeting based on enforcement of Act 852.
Dzulkefly said two new places are listed as non-smoking areas – launderettes and workplace buildings – effective Jan 1 next year.
He added there are 28 non-smoking areas under Act 852 compared with 23 under the Control of Tobacco Product (Amendment) Regulations 2018 under the Food Act 1983.
During his first tenure as health minister in 2018, Dzulkefly had campaigned for a smoking ban in public spaces, which included launderettes.
The non-smoking regulations were then enforced but launderettes were left out of the list in 2019.
“Of course, I feel thankful that launderettes, where mothers often bring their children, have finally become non-smoking public spaces.
“Continuous enforcement action on both these locations will commence after Jan 1, 2025,” he added.
Among the 26 other premises or areas where public smoking is banned are Internet cafés, National Service training centres, observation towers, campsites, canopy walkways and within 5m of the entrance or exit of canopy walkways in national and state parks.
Others are inside school buses and public transport vehicles.
