Malaysia - increase in number of women smoking..


April 8, 2010 - The Dewan Rakyat (Lower House) was told on Wednesday, April 7th that the increase in the number of women smokers was worrying.

(The Parliament of Malaysia (Malay: Parlimen Malaysia) is the national legislature of Malaysia, the bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (literally "People's Hall"; commonly referred to as the House of Representatives, lower house) and the Dewan Negara (literally "Nation's Hall"; commonly referred to as the Senate). The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme Head) as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament. Parliament of Malaysia)

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that among the reasons for the increase was that many women believed that by smoking cigarettes, they could lose weight.
“According to our study, the number of women smoking cigarettes is indeed on the rise and this is a very worrying trend. “The perception that smoking cigarettes can help you lose weight is baseless,” he said in reply to Lilah Yasin (BN-Jempol) who wanted to know about the trend which was had been rampant of late.

Liow said women with such perception should go to a clinic or hospital and seek advice and counseling on the effects of smoking. To an original question from Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) on efforts to curb obesity, which could lead to various health problems, Liow said nurses and assistant medical officers were also authorised to provide counselling on exercise, nutrition and diet to the public.

“The responsibility to give counselling service to improve the quality of government service delivery in public helth clinics pertaining to the weight loss programme is no longer restricted to medical officers only,” he said.

He said the government had also deployed 172 family medicine experts to 151 government health clinics nationwide to enable obese individuals who also suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes and heart ailment to get specialist attention easily.

Reference: MALAYSIAN PARLIAMENT: NUMBER OF WOMEN SMOKERS AT WORRYING STAGE, NAM NEWS NETWORK - BERNAMA, 4/7/2010.

Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - new strategy to penalize retailers who sell contraband cigarettes..;
Malaysia - youth and student smokers may not receive aid from government..;
Malaysia - two tobacco control regulations starting January 1, 2010..

Malaysia - about 368,000 teenager smokers in the country, 50-60 added per day..;
Malaysia - sale of cigarettes in packets of less than 20 prohibited as of June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - stepping up efforts to curb the trade in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - BAT plans to dispose of a parcel of industrial land..;
Malaysia - ban on cigarette sponsorship for sports will not be withdrawn..;
Malaysia - cigarette-shaped sweets packaged like cigarettes;
Malaysia - Penang consumer group ban cheap cigarettes and increase price on premium..;
Malaysia - Kelantin State Government may not promote staff who smoke..;
Malaysia - excise duty increased on tobacco - another increase could be coming this month..;
Malaysia - smoking limits your quality of life..;
Malaysia - smoking civil servants in Penang to receive free nicotine treatment..;
Malaysia - illicit cigarettes, BAT wants government to slow excise duty increases..;
Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government de­­partments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government de­­partments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...

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