SERIAN: The Inspectorate and Legislation Unit of the Serian Division Health Office has disposed of 49 packets of cigarettes and 3,023 cartons of cigarettes estimated to be worth more than RM80,000.

Following the effective enforcement actions under the Tobacco Products Control Regulations 2004 (PPKHT2004), which were carried out in September, the tobacco products were a case item that had been confiscated.

On October 13, the Sarawak Health Department, through the Serian Divisional Health Office (PKB), charged a man with an offence of selling and possessing cigarettes without a set of health warnings.

The 31-year-old man was charged for selling cigarettes that are not printed with health warnings on packets and cartons.

As a result, the Serian Divisional Health Officer Raphael Engkayau hoped that cigarette merchants would refrain from selling cigarettes that do not comply with the provisions of the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 (PPKHT).

“Widely available and inexpensive cigarettes will make it easier for smokers to obtain their supplies, particularly teenagers.

“Therefore, the government’s efforts to curb the habit of smoking and reduce the risk of diseases caused by cigarettes will be in vain if the activities of selling cigarettes that do not meet the standards are still prevalent,” he said.

He said this during a press conference at Serian Division Health Office today before leaving for the Tebedu Waste Disposal Site for the disposal of case items.

For the record, the amount of cigarettes seized was the highest so far in Sarawak by the Sarawak Health Department.

The accused was sentenced to a RM5,000 fine in default of six months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to charges under Rule 15(4A).

The order for the disposal of case items has been obtained from the Serian Magistrate’s Court after the expiry of the 14-day appeal period following the conviction of the accused.