Ban smoking and vaping in all eateries

AMIDST the uproar over the proposed banning of foreign cooks, smoking and vaping continue to cause unpleasant dining experience and contaminate the food served in restaurants and other food outlets.

There are around five million smokers in Malaysia, according to the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey, and most of them happily puff away in eateries even when there are families with children nearby. They are also careless when they throw their cigarette butts.

While we are familiar with secondhand smoke, not many are aware of thirdhand smoke or residual tobacco smoke. Particles from tobacco smoke can settle in dust and on surfaces and remain there for months.

Research has shown that these particles can combine with gases in the air to form cancer-causing compounds that settle onto surfaces and pose greater risk for children who often put things in their mouth. These particles may also fall on the food we consume or on our clothes.

Vaping, which is marketed contentiously as less harmful than cigarettes, produces aerosol clouds containing chemicals that are also irritating due to their strong flavour and pungent odours.

Arguments have been put forward that non-smokers should head for eateries that ban smoking. But people might be going to a particular restaurant or coffeeshop because it is near their workplace to have a quick lunch or it is the only place offering free WiFi or food that is more affordable.

Besides the diners, workers inside the eateries who are not smokers are also exposed to secondhand smoke for prolonged periods involuntarily.

I urge the Health Ministry to ban smoking and vaping in all eateries and gazette these places as non-smoking premises without further delay.