PUTRAJAYA: Some 41 per cent of adult smokers in Malaysia have no plans to quit the habit, a survey has found.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Malaysia 2023 survey released by the Health Ministry today, only nine per cent of smoking adults planned to quit within the next month.
Another 13 per cent said they were thinking about quitting smoking within the next 12 months and another 37 per cent said they planned to stop someday.
The survey found that around 4.8 million or 19 per cent of adults in Malaysia smoke with 3.7 million or 14.6 per cent adults smoking daily.
GATS Malaysia 2023, a nationally representative survey, involved 5,780 households across all states, with respondents aged 15 years and above over two months.
The survey, unveiled by Health Minister Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, also found that Malaysian adults spend an average of RM178 a month on cigarettes.
Specifically, smokers from an urban population spent RM195 on cigarettes whereas the rural population spent about RM136.
The report also found that both urban and rural smokers buy their tobacco products from grocery stores.
In Malaysia, GATS is undertaken by the Health Ministry, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organisation.
