SARATOK: Forty-six food operators participated in the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 dialogue session here yesterday.
Present to deliver the talk was Betong Division Health Officer Dr Johnny Pangas. In the briefing, Johnny said that operators must put up the ‘No Smoking’ sign and those caught smoking in the premises (eateries) would face actions as provided under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004. They (the operators) were also prohibited from providing ashtrays.
According to him, smoking in food premises had a negative impact on other customers’ health.
“I strongly agree that the government through the Ministry of Health (MOH) will declare all eateries in the country as a non-smoking area starting January 1 next year.
“We need to give importance to the rights of non-smokers so that they are free from cigarette smoke because we all know smoking is harmful to health,” he added.
Apart from that, Johnny stressed that smoking habit in public place also caused the environment to become dirty as the cigarette butts and ashes are dumped everywhere.
“The Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 enacted under Section 36 of the Food Act 1983 provides for a RM10,000 maximum fine or not more than two years jail while RM2,500 fine for food operators.
Also present were the Environmental Health Officer Raphael Engkayau and representative of the Saratok Chinese Chamber of Commerce Kapitan Gan Eng Kie.
