KUCHING: A total 341 food premises and coffeeshops under Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) have been designated as ‘Smoke Free Zone’.Three coffeeshops and eateries at Satok Commercial Centre at Jalan Satok were the latest designated as ‘Smoke Free Zone’ yesterday.
“These premises have given good response to the initiative taken by DBKU,” DBKU Mayor Datuk Haji Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai told the media after visiting the area yesterday.
He disclosed that to date, 31 coffeeshops had set aside areas at their premises as ‘Smoke Free Zone’.
He said DBKU had not yet arrested anyone for smoking in premises designated as ‘Smoke Free Zone’ as the premises had not yet been gazetted as such.
“It is our aim that we introduce this programme within this year and by next year when all the smoke free areas have been identified, then we will have them gazetted,” he said.
“When we have gazetted these places as free smoke areas, only then we have the authority to take action,” he said, adding that there are certain areas where action could be taken, such as at airports, hospitals, schools, universities and public parks.
He said the putting up of ‘Smoke Free Zone’ signage was one of the initiatives taken by DBKU in line with the objective of the Ministry of Health whereby every food premises would need to display the signage at their premises to inform the public about ‘Smoke Free Zone’.
“Besides, it is also one of the strategies to educate the public on the dangers of smoking and at the same time, helping to reduce the number of smokers in the country besides implementing ‘Smoke Free Zone’ at food premises within DBKU areas which took effect on 1 January 2017,” said Abang Wahap.
Meanwhile according to Abon Bin Kip, Senior Environmental Health Officer from the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Unit of the Divisional Health Department, at the moment, action or enforcement can only be taken on people found smoking in air-conditioned premises.
He said the compound for smoking in prohibited areas would be RM250 on the spot and if taken to court, the maximum fine could be RM10,000 or two years’ imprisonment.
There are 24 gazetted prohibited smoking areas which include hospitals, clinics, lifts, school buses, airports and public parks.
Abon disclosed that during an operation last Wednesday, 42 people were caught smoking at Kuching International Airport.
Accompanying Abang Wahap were DBKU board member Datin Mary Sadiah Zainuddin and Dr Ho Ai Chia, Epidemiology Officer from the Divisional Health Department.
