KUALA LUMPUR: The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) has backed the Health Ministry's plan to allow designated smoking areas to be set up near eateries located in tight spaces.
"This is a good progression of a wider move to create more smoke-free areas in public areas and it (the plan) should be supported," said NCSM Managing Director, Associate Professor Dr Murallitharan M in a statement.
He said there was confusion between the terms "smoke-free premises" and "smoke-free areas" which are often used in discussions on the topic as they were often used interchangeably.
A "smoke-free premise" refers to specific establishments such as hospitals or schools where no smoking is allowed, he said.
"For restaurants and eating establishments, in particular, this extends not only to the specific establishment but also within a three-metre radius of the establishment.
"It needs to be understood that outside this three-metre radius, individuals can smoke freely."
The tern "smoke-free areas" on the other hand refers to an area gazetted under the law where smoking is prohibited.
"This includes certain parks and most famously, places such as the entirety of Jonker Walk in Melaka."
Murallitharan said the Health Ministry's proposal involves allowing designated smoking areas that are not within smoke-free areas but in places with smoke-free premises.
He said the benefit of this plan is that there is clear assurance as per the law that there will be no changes to smoke-free areas which will remain off-limits to smokers.
"Smoke-free premises in other areas, however, will now have designated smoking areas established within them."
He said this will see the creation of specific spaces designated for smoking, and this will reduce littering and contribute to long-term "denormalisation" of smoking.
"Over the long run, these spaces with smoke-free premises will slowly be transformed into smoke-free areas as more and more of the public become conscious and completely stop using even these designated smoking areas."
On Saturday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government was considering allowing designated smoking areas near eateries in tight spaces as it was difficult for these premises to ensure compliance with the law.
He said the plan for designated areas for smoking was in line with practices in developed countries including Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong.
