KUALA LUMPUR: Penang’s capital, George Town, has been recognised for its anti-smoking initiatives, earning the Silver Award at the 2nd Asean Smoke-Free Awards (ASA) held here on Thursday (Sept 10).
The presentation took place during the opening ceremony of the Asean Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM). Led by the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) government under Asean Health Cluster 1, the initiative is organised in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) and the Asean Secretariat.
Baguio City in the Philippines clinched the Gold Award, while five local governments from Indonesia were awarded Bronze. Singapore received a Special Recognition certificate for its consistent and outstanding smoke-free enforcement.
SEATCA Executive Director Dr Ulysses Dorotheo commended the cities, noting that strict enforcement is both achievable and essential to saving lives from the tobacco epidemic.
"Local governments are demonstrating that smoke-free environments can and must become the standard across the region by firmly resisting challenges from the tobacco industry and placing public health first," Dr Dorotheo said in a statement, adding that SEATCA will continue supporting these cities.
Meanwhile, the Lao PDR Health Ministry expressed pride in leading the initiative, reaffirming its commitment to working with all member states to build healthier, smoke-free communities.
The ASA recognises regional policy achievements that align with the Asean Post-2015 Health Development Agenda and the 2017 Asean Declaration on Culture of Prevention.
