By MAG ROGERS
KUCHING: The first day of the smoking ban has been met with positive response.
In a street poll conducted at some of the eateries here, not one customer was seen lighting up a cigarette, and all seemed to be adhering to the ban while inside the premises.
“It’s good and healthy, and the ban should not be looked at as an inconvenience,” opined Ahmad Sabri, 57, a self-employed man and a non-smoker.
“It all depends on where, such as like this place, it’s an open space and of course smoking is allowed.
“As long as the smokers do not smoke at the non-smoking places like schools, restaurants, hospitals and closed door offices, it’s okay,” he said.
A group of cobblers doing their business near the Satok flyover agreed.
“It’s okay to smoke here. We light up our cigarettes here because it’s an open space and it’s okay to smoke.
“Of course, we won’t do it like at the no smoking areas,” they said.
A student, Hubert, 19, was one of the customers enjoying food and drinks at the Open Air Market, and he said he welcomed the ban.
“I agree, and it’s a good move by the government to enforce the ban in Sarawak and I think, about time, too.”
Jong, 68, a businessman was seen lighting a cigarette a few metres away from an eatery, and he quipped: “Smoking is a health hazard although I smoke.”
“But since there is already a law to ban smoking in eateries, I think it should be adhered to,” he said.
