Ban On Sale Of Cigarette Packets Of 14 Sticks And Less From June 1

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- The sale of cigarette packets containing 14 sticks or less of cigarettes will be banned from June 1, the Health Ministry announced Friday.
The decision was made in accordance with the Tobacco Revenue Control Procedures 2004 on the sale of cigarettes in Malaysia, the ministry's Disease Control Division Director Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat said in a statement.
He said the procedures stipulated that shopkeepers could sell cigarettes in packets containing 20 sticks but could not sell lesser amounts from unwrapped packets.
The penalty for various offences ranged from RM1,000 to RM50,000 and up to two years' jail, including for those who advertised the products or failed to adhere to the packaging and labelling requirements.
The government banned cigarette advertisements and posters at public places, including coffee shops and mini markets, in 2004.
Cigarette companies are not allowed to sponsor soccer tournaments since 2004 and the Formula 1 race since last year.
Asking the tobacco companies and retailers to adhere to the new rules, Dr Ramli said the ministry would come down hard on offenders.