Raising price of cigarettes not a best solution to combat smoking

The proposal to raise the price of cigarettes is not the best solution to combat smoking, says Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Instead, he said the campaign to enhance public awareness on the danger of smoking especially among the people in the border areas to prevent inflow of smuggled cigarettes, need to be intensified.

"If we raise the price of cigarettes, the smokers will not quit. Probably, they will just opt for cheaper or smuggled cigarettes...and this will cause the government to incur losses in terms of tax collection," he told reporters here today.

"I don't encourage people to smoke (to enable the state government) to collect tax, but I also don't see how the number of smokers would be reduced by raising the price of cigarettes. That move will not do anyone any good," he added.

Last Tuesday, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said there was a plan to increase the price of cigarettes in the country in a bid to combat smoking.

He said the maximum price of a pack of cigarettes, which now stood at RM17, would probably be raised to RM21.50. - BERNAMA