KUALA LUMPUR: All business owners can apply to make their premises a no-smoking area. Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said the application could be made to the Health Ministry to enable health enforcement authorities to take action against those who smoke near their premises.
“We received many complaints from owners whose premises were either opposite or adjacent to eateries where their (eateries’) customers smoked in the vicinity of their premises.
“If the owners of such premises do not want smokers to smoke in the vicinity, the owners can apply to the ministry to designate their premises as “no smoking” areas, which will enable health authorities to take action,” he told a news conference after the opening of the Tung Shin Hospital’s Heart Cardiac Care Services Centre, here yesterday.
He said last week, more than 100 business premises in Sabah received the Blue Ribbon Certificate Award from the ministry after voluntarily making an application to declare their respective business premises as a no-smoking area.
“Hotels and homestays can also apply to make their respective buildings a no-smoking area,” he said.
Commenting on the enforcement of the smoking ban on food premises that came into effect on Jan 1, Dr Lee said the enforcement had been effective, so far.
“So far we have not issued any summonses, but we issued warrning notices to those who smoke in prohibited areas,” he said. –Bernama
