IPOH: Smoking among teenagers is on the rise, and this is one of the reasons the government decided to implement the smoking ban at all open-air eateries come January, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye. He said the ministry viewed the trend of smoking among youths as serious, and the ban would help to control such trends in the long run. Dr Lee was asked to respond to the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association's (Primas) request for the ban to be put on hold. "The ministry has held dialogues with many restaurant operators, including Primas, and such dialogues will continue as we understand their predicament. "Smoking is injurious to the health of both smokers and non-smokers who are exposed to the smoke," he added.

Source: The Star December 26, 2018 03:56 UTC