Over 11,000 summons issued to errant smokers so far in 2022, says KJ

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 11,133 summons have been handed out to those found smoking in restricted areas from the start of the year until April 6, says Khairy Jamaluddin.

The Health Minister said 28,835 premises had also been inspected as of March 15, with 1,450 complaints on smoking in restricted areas received through the Health Ministry’s WhatsApp line.

"I urge the public to continue forwarding their complaints so that our relevant departments can perform inspections on such premises," he said at a press conference after launching the mQuit mosque programme at the Tuanku Sultan Mirzan Zainal Abidin Mosque on Friday (April 22).

Commenting on the issue of smuggled cigarettes, Khairy said he would have a session with relevant stakeholders such as the police and customs departments on ways to curb the issue.

"We not only want to ensure cigarettes are not sold to those born from 2005, but also put a stop to smuggled cigarettes," he said.

Earlier this year, Khairy said a new law would be introduced to ban smoking and possession of tobacco products, including vape, for the generation born after 2005, as a generational endgame for smoking in the country.

He said the introduction of the law would be able to reduce future generations' exposure to cigarettes and tobacco products, as tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer and contributes to 22% of cancer deaths.