PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking tobacco among adults to 15% by December next year, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister said the current national prevalence of tobacco smoking among those aged 15 and above stood at 19%, according to the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS).
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“While the prevalence of tobacco use dropped from 21.3% (in 2019) to 19%, there is a shift from conventional smoking to vaping.
“We had a (target) of 15% (for) the national smoking prevalence in 2011 but we are struggling to achieve it as we approach 2025.
“Now we have four percentage points left to achieve the target. I hope we can achieve it by December 2025," he told a media briefing at the ministry here on Friday (Oct 4).
Dzulkefly is confident of achieving the target with the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 coming into force on Tuesday (Oct 1).
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He said enforcement of the Act could help reduce the prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults.
Dzulkefly said the ministry will also set a target for reducing vaping prevalence.
“Right now the national prevalence for vaping is at 5.8%," he added when asked about milestones set by the ministry after the Act came into force.
It covers regulations on the registration, sale, packaging, labelling and prohibition of smoking in public places.
