Cigarette war has Chua fuming

Star: MALACCA: There is a price war among cigarette companies, and the Health Ministry is smoking with fury.
“The price war must stop. The companies have slashed their prices to unreasonable levels to attract smokers,” said minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He gave them two weeks to stop the “war” or said the ministry would intervene by setting a minimum price.
The price war has indirectly made cigarettes cheaper despite the annual duty increase, as manufacturers are willing to cut prices and offer attractive packaging to lure the young to boost sales.
“Smokers can buy a packet of 20 cigarettes for about RM3,” Dr Chua said when visiting the Machap Baru health clinic here yesterday.
He lamented that the price war had hampered the Government’s effort to discourage smoking.
Tobacco manufacturers and importers needed to register with the ministry so that the Government could easily monitor them, he said, adding that the ministry met tobacco company representatives here yesterday, including those from Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and JT International Bhd.
Dr Chua said the companies had asked that the graphic warning be reduced to less than 50% on cigarette packs, while the Government had suggested the image be set at 60% of the package.
He added that a final decision on the matter had yet to be made.

Meanwhile, the ministry will start a pilot project by mid-year to promote healthy eating habits among primary schoolchildren.
Four schools each from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and Putrajaya would be involved in the Healthy School Campaign project, reports LOH FOON FONG.
The Health and Education ministries had agreed that the school canteen was the best place to inculcate good eating habits.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, Dr Chua said: “We will come up with dietary guidelines and recommend food that schools can prepare.”
He said food operators have agreed to use a logo depicting Healthy Choice for food with reduced fat, sugar and salt content and his ministry would carry out checks on set standards.
Regarding his recent suggestion on fast food advertisement, Dr Chua said the ministry would go ahead and ban such advertisements. The proposal would be ready in a week for the Cabinet.
“We decided to ban fast food advertisements, not the food. Sellers of nasi lemak or bak kut teh do not advertise.
“We don’t want our children to be influenced by bad eating habits,” he said.