Smoking Ban To Be Soon Implemented In South East Asian Bars

Government is seriously thinking about imposing a smoking ban in entertainment venues and bars in South East Asia.

South East Asia has been long considered a wonderland for smokers as they could have their puff in bars, hotel lobbies or restaurants without any inhibition. Sad news alas for these happy folks as the government is seriously thinking about imposing a smoking ban in entertainment venues and bars.

In Malaysia and Thailand, smoking bans already exist in air-conditioned restaurants, government offices, airports and other public venues like shopping malls.

'Actually the government wanted to sign the law last December,' said Prakit Vathesatogkit, head of Thailand's Anti-Smoking Foundation.

'It's just that the officials had not prepared the documents to include bars and night clubs in the bill banning smoking in hotel lobbies, but the minister was ready to sign them.'

Thailand, which along with Singapore is at the forefront of the region's anti-smoking campaign, has enacted a host of restrictions on the tobacco industry including bans on cigarette advertisements, on smoking in most public places and requirements that all cigarette packs include graphic photos depicting the ill effects of tobacco on health.

Last year the government banned cigarette displays at points of sale, making Thailand only the third country in the world to do so.

The result? Thailand's puffer population has stagnated at about 10 million over the past decade, falling as a percentage of the population.

'We estimate there are four million less smokers than would have been without two decades of anti-smoking campaigns,' said Prakit.

In Singapore, smoking in buses and cinemas was banned way back in 1970 and is now prohibited in schools, courts, buses, taxis and air-conditioned public places as well as pools, open-air stadiums, bus shelters and toilets.

'Any person caught smoking in these places is liable to be prosecuted in court for a fine of up to $618 (1,000 Singapore dollars),'said a spokeswoman for Singapore's Health Promotion Board.

Singapore smokers made up only 12.6 percent of the population in 2004, one of the lowest rates in the world.

In Malaysia, the health ministry recently announced that discotheques, bars and outdoor recreation parks would soon be designated non-smoking areas.

The ministry plans to hike tobacco taxes by another 13 percent this year. In 2004, the government launched a $27-million, five-year anti-smoking drive dubbed 'Tak Nak' or 'Don't Want It', but it is facing tough resistance from Malaysian puffers, who account for five million of the country's 23 million people.

'The efforts against smoking are not achieving much,' admitted Mohamed Idris of the Consumers Association in Penang. 'The smoking habit is being successfully promoted and new smokers are still being recruited every day.'

Indonesia, where 62 percent of adult men are smokers, ranks fifth among the world's leading tobacco consumers. The government's anti-smoking efforts have run into serious opposition.

A ban on smoking in all public places in capital Jakarta was announced last year but went into force only this month, giving puffers a year-long grace period to adjust to the city ordinance that sets a $5,000 fine and six-month jail penalty for violations.

In the Philippines, tobacco lobbyists are also a problem.

'There are several lobbying efforts from tobacco companies and business establishments, who prefer not to have anti-smoking ordinances because these affect their business,' said a Manila-based World Health Organisation (WHO) official who preferred to remain anonymous.