More smokers keen to quit

THERE has been more than a twofold increase in the number of people who wish to quit smoking compared to last year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said this big increase was during the start of the movement control order on March 18.

Adham added this increase can be seen in the number who registered under the ministry’s MQuit, a free programme to encourage smokers to kick the habit.

“A total 3,442 people registered for the programme online at jomquit.moh.gov.my from January until October this year compared to 1,678 last year.

“Of the number who registered their interest in the programme, 95% did so throughout the implementation of the MCO,” he said in reply to a question by Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa (PH-Parit Buntar).

Mujahid had asked the ministry to state the progress of smoking cessation programmes and their effectiveness.

Adham said the government had spent RM2 million in 2018 and

RM2.8 million last year to fund pharmacology costs to encourage people to quit smoking prior to the implementation of MQuit.

MQuit is a public-private partnership (PPP) between professional entities, nongovernmental organisations and the private sector.

It provides customised plans to quit smoking, resources and advice on quitting, comprehensive followup sessions by dedicated healthcare professionals and nicotine replacement therapy to facilitate smoking cessation.

Adham said he had forwarded a request to the Finance Ministry to use funds collected from excise duty on cigarettes and tobacco for all smoking cessation programmes.

He said this would help the ministry to fund programmes to reduce the number of smokers in the country, adding that at present, 21% of the country’s population (4.8 million) were smokers.

He said the number of people who wanted to quit smoking stood at 2.3 million, and some 22,000 people who enrolled in MQuit have successfully been treated.