Smoke inside your own house

Dare to take the risk?: One of the No Smoking signboards put up in the George Town World Heritage Zone in Armenian Street, Penang.

ALL buildings and public spaces in the George Town World Heritage Zone, except residential premises, are now off-limits to smokers.

Effective Saturday, the Health Ministry has gazetted the area as smoke-free and those found taking a puff indoors or outside a building, other than a residential building, can be issued a summons of up to RM5,000 or fined a maximum of RM10,000 or be jailed two years.

By July 23, the state will finalise the designated smoking areas, after which the identified areas will be submitted to the Health Ministry to be gazetted as smoking zones.

Business owners in the heritage zone were supposed to have applied for their outdoor spaces to be declared as smoking areas by June 7.

Once the smoking zones have been gazetted, signages will be put up in the George Town World Heritage Zone.

State Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said alignment of the smoking zones will be done from time to time after consultation, should problems arise.

“We are prepared to listen to the people and reasonable requests will be given due consideration,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Smokers are also not allowed to take a puff in their vehicles within the George Town World Heritage Zone.

Signages have already been put up in the heritage zone but a check by The Star yesterday showed that there were still some smokers puffing away, oblivious to the ruling.

Phee said the Penang Island City Council enforcement personnel would be helping the Health Department to enforce the no-smoking rule.

Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (Atap) chairman Ch’ng Huck Theng said the move to gazette George Town World Heritage Zone as a non-smoking zone was a positive move towards a greener state.

“Atap and Penang Art Society agree that the heritage area must have designated smoking zones like Japan and Singapore,” Ch’ng said.

George Town World Heritage Incorporated general manager Lim Chooi Ping said people generally wanted a clean environment.

“It may take awhile to increase awareness and to educate people on the policy,” she said.

Consumers Association of Penang president S.M. Mohamed Idris lauded the move, but stressed that the policy should be extended to all public areas.

“It should not only be at the George Town World Heritage Zone. Second hand smoking is as dangerous,” he said.