Screenings Found 43,019 Secondary School Students Smoke Cigarettes

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- Screenings conducted on 1.3 million secondary school students through the Oral Health Tobacco-Free (KOTAK) programme last year found that a total of 43,019 students were involved in the smoking habit.

Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that during the same period, screenings conducted on two million primary school pupils found 341 were also into the habit.

"Those identified as smokers were given the intervention for smoking cigarettes, while those who do not smoke were given continuous health education to ensure they remain smoke-free," he said during question and answer session at the Dewan Negara today.

He said this in reply to a question from Senator N. Balasubramaniam who wanted to know the latest developments by the Ministry of Health (MOH) with regards to the  Anti-Smoking Generational End Game 18 Plan (GEGAR-18) and how successful it had been.

Lukanisman said the Ministry of Health (MoH) would continue to strengthen and expand the GEGAR-18 programme which aims to provide legal knowledge and continuous education to create a smoke- free environment.

"The GEGAR-18 campaign was also organised  at nine higher learning institutions in collaboration with the Volunteer Foundation and the Ministry of Higher Education.

"In line with the GEGAR-18 campaign, 19 university campuses implemented the University Quit Smoking Services (mQUIT) programme and conducted screenings and interventions to stop the smoking habit among undergraduates," he said

He said MOH would also be extending the GEGAR-18 campaign to youths who are not  at any higher learning institutions through the Malaysian Youth Council and other related organisations.

-- BERNAMA