TAIPING: The government has no plans to create special smoking areas in the country, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
He said that having enforced the smoking ban on all eateries from Jan 1, the setting up of such special areas would only encourage the people to light up.
“The government is not stopping them from smoking, but they must respect those who don’t. For restaurants, smokers must be 10 feet (three metres) away so that others would not be affected by secondary smoke,” he told a press conference after officiating the Rabies Disease Awareness programme here today.
On Jan 4, Lee had said that the ministry would issue RM500 summonses to first-time offenders who flout the no-smoking rule at eateries.
The penalty will apply only to smokers who still break the rule despite being given repeated verbal warnings. — Bernama
